Improved Growth and Nutrition of Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) Plants in a Low-Fertility Calcareous Soil Treated with Plant Growth–Promoting Rhizobacteria and Fe-EDTA

Abstract

The low availability of micronutrients such as zinc (Zn) and iron (Fe) and macronutrients (phosphorus (P), in particular) in calcareous soils adversely affects plants such as sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) that are highly sensitive to deficiencies of these elements. This study investigated the potential effects of different Fe chelates and plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) on nutrition and growth of sorghum plants growing in a low-fertility calcareous soil. A glasshouse experiment was carried out in a completely randomized design with four PGPR treatments (Pseudomonas putida P159, Pseudomonas fluorescens T17-24, Bacillus subtilis P96, and an uninoculated control), and three Fe treatments (10 mg Fe kg −1 soil as Fe-EDDHA or Fe-EDTA, and no Fe application). Application of both Fe chelates (Fe-EDDHA and Fe-EDTA) increased plant dry weight, shoot content, and concentration of Zn and Cu (copper) compared with the control treatment; however, Fe-EDTAwas found to be more effective than Fe-EDDHA. Fe-EDTA significantly increased the concentration of Cu, Zn, and Mn (manganese) up to 74.7%, 40.3%, and 30.6% in the rhizosphere, respectively. The use of PGPR significantly increased plant growth as well as the content of Mn, Zn, Cu, and K (potassium) compared with the uninoculated plants. Overall, the Fe-EDTA chelate was more effective in increasing nutrient uptake and growth of sorghum plants than Fe-EDDHA because of its low chemical stability at high pH. Combined application of Fe-EDTA and PGPR strains provided the greatest growth and nutritional benefits to sorghum plants growing in the alkaline nutrient-deficient calcareous soil.

Symbiotic Parameters, Productivity and Profitability in Kabuli Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) as Influenced by Application of Phosphorus and Biofertilizers

“…Furthermore, the production of IAA by PSB-18 (46.14 μg ml −1 ) and RB-1 (30.64 μg ml −1 ) (Jha 2016) has a positive effect on plant growth as they stimulate lateral root proliferation which leads to increase in absorption area and results in more absorption of nutrients from the soil which ultimately leads to more nutrient concentration in plants as compared with the uninoculated control. PGPR increased phosphorus concentration and phosphorus and potassium uptake in sorghum (Abbaszadeh-Dahaji et al 2020), as also observed in the present study.…”

The role of ACC deaminase producing bacteria in improving sweet corn (Zea mays L. var saccharata) productivity under limited availability of irrigation water

“…The combination of four strains level improved plant ability for nutrients absorption like Mn by expanding the host root system and increasing root contact with soil as a result of more lateral root and root hair production. Abbaszadeh-Dehaji et al 48 reported that three PGPRs (Pseudomonas putida P159, Pseudomonas flurescens T17-24 and Bacillus subtilis P96) inoculation resulted from a significant increase in sorghum growth and nutrients like Mn, Zn, Cu, and K in plant leaf in compare with control plants. Malekzadeh et al 49 showed that Fe, Zn, P and Mn absorption by maize shoot increased significantly in all inoculated treatments with Bacillus mycoides and Micrococcus roseus in compare with control.…”

Application of Biochar Changed the Status of Nutrients and Biological Activity in a Calcareous Soil

“…Low organic matter content and nutrient availability particularly phosphorus (P) and micronutrients (Fe, Mn, Zn, and Cu) are common problems in calcareous soils in arid zones (Rengel 2015;Abbaszadeh-Dahaji et al 2019;Bityutski et al 2017;Kumari et al 2018). The decrease in soil organic matter negatively affects the soil nutrient availability (Naeem et al 2017) and microbial activity (Khadem and Raiesi 2017a).…”