Corn Yield and Phosphorus Use Efficiency Response to Phosphorus Rates Associated With Plant Growth Promoting Bacteria

Abstract

The use of plant growth promoting bacteria (PGPB) that can solubilize phosphorus (P) has shown potential to improve nutrient availability in grass crops such as corn (Zea mays L.) This study was developed to investigate if inoculation with Azospirillum brasilense, Bacillus subtilis or Pseudomonas fluorescens associated with P 2 O 5 rates can improve phosphorus use efficiency (PUE) reflecting on greater corn development and yield. The field trial was set up in a Rhodic Hapludox under no-till system under Savannah conditions, in a completely randomized block design with four replicates. Treatments were tested in a full factorial design and included: (i) five P 2 O 5 rates (0 to 105 kg ha −1) and (ii) four PGPB seed inoculation (Control-without inoculation, A. brasilense, B. subtilis or P. fluorescens). Inoculation was found to increase grain yield by 39.5, 29.1, and 15.9% when B. subtilis was inoculated in the absence of P 2 O 5 rates and associated with 17.5 and 70 kg P 2 O 5 ha −1 and by 34.7% when A. brasilense was inoculated with application of 105 kg P 2 O 5 ha −1. In addition, inoculation with B. subtilis and A. brasilense were found to increase P uptake, benefiting productive components development, leading to an improved PUE, and greater corn grain yield. The results of this study showed positive improvements in P uptake as a result of B. subtilis and A. brasilense inoculation, with an increase of 100.5 and 54.6% on PUE, respectively; while the P. fluorescens inoculation were less evident. Further research should be conducted under biotic or/and abiotic conditions such as attack of pathogens and insects, drought, salinity, water flooding, low and high temperature to better understand the role of PGPB, inoculated alone or in combination as the co-inoculated method.

A Bacterial Consortium Interacts With Different Varieties of Maize, Promotes the Plant Growth, and Reduces the Application of Chemical Fertilizer Under Field Conditions

“…In contrast, a consortium of Azospirillum lipoferum, P. fluorescens, P. putida, and chitosan did not increase the height, diameter, or number of leaves per plant but significantly increased the dry weight of the roots and the aerial parts of the maize under greenhouse conditions (Agbodjato et al, 2016). The co-inoculation of maize with A. brasilense and B. subtillis has also shown greater benefits than individual inoculation (Pereira et al, 2020).…”

“…The study of soybeans and common beans co-inoculated with Bradyrhizobium japonicum and Azospirillum brasilense revealed an increment in the yield (Hungria et al, 2013). Regarding to microbial consortia applied to maize plants, the inoculation of A. brasilense and Bacillus subtillis improved phosphorus uptake, plant development, and corn grain yield (Pereira et al, 2020) Similarly, the consortium of Trichoderma harzianum OMG16 and B. amyloliquefaciens FZB42 increased the shoot dry matter and grain yield in maize (Mpanga et al, 2019).…”

Diversidade, mecanismos de atuação e potencial agrícola de bactérias promotoras de crescimento de plantas, usando milho como cultura exemplo

“…Estas bactérias apresentam um grande leque de mecanismos de promoção de crescimento, que costumam ser mais efetivos em plantas sob estresse ambiental. Estas diversidades indicam grande potencial para o uso de inoculação destes micro-organismos para a promoção da produtividade ou redução do uso de insumos como fertilizantes, como pode ser exemplificado pelo uso atual desta prática na cultura do milho de B. subtilis e Azospirillum brasilense, com um aumento de 100 e 54,6% na eficiência do uso do fósforo, respectivamente (PEREIRA et al, 2020). Em condições de casa de vegetação, a inoculação de Bacillus pumilus S1r1, Klebsiella pneumoniae Fr1, Bacillus subtilis UPMB10 e Acinetobacter sp.…”

Genomic and Phenotypic Insights Into the Potential of Rock Phosphate Solubilizing Bacteria to Promote Millet Growth in vivo

“…The selection of candidate bioinoculant bacteria with diverse plant growth promoting phenotypes has been carried out using in vitro tests under laboratory conditions. Although several studies have verified the effectiveness of the inoculation of microorganisms obtained by this approach on the growth and productivity of plants, including maize (de Sousa et al, 2020;Pereira et al, 2020), the poor reproducibility of laboratory assays in plant-soil systems in field scale is still a difficulty that needs to be overcome. It has been suggested that the efficiency of inoculation varies according to the type of soil, cultivar and environmental factors, and microbial characteristics (Silva et al, 2016).…”