Characterizing indigenous plant growth promoting bacteria and their synergistic effects with organic and chemical fertilizers on wheat (Triticum aestivum)

Israr Asghar; Maqsood Ahmed; Muhammad Ansar Farooq; Muhammad Ishtiaq; Muhammad Arshad; Muhammad Akram; Adnan Umair; Abdulwahed Fahad Alrefaei; Muhammad Yousuf Jat Baloch; Aamna Naeem

doi:10.3389/fpls.2023.1232271

Characterizing indigenous plant growth promoting bacteria and their synergistic effects with organic and chemical fertilizers on wheat (Triticum aestivum)

Front Plant Sci. 2023 Aug 16:14:1232271. doi: 10.3389/fpls.2023.1232271. eCollection 2023.

Affiliations

¹ Department of Biotechnology, Mirpur University of Science and Technology (MUST), Mirpur, Pakistan.
² Institute of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST), Islamabad, Pakistan.
³ Department of Botany, Mirpur University of Science and Technology (MUST), Bhimber, Pakistan.
⁴ Department of Environmental Sciences, COMSATS University Islamabad (CUI), Vehari, Pakistan.
⁵ Department of Agriculture, Research wing, Soil and Water Testing Laboratory, Sialkot, Pakistan.
⁶ Department of Zoology, College of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
⁷ College of New Energy and Environment, Jilin University, Changchun, China.

Abstract

The excessive use of chemical fertilizers is deteriorating both the environment and soil, making it a big challenge faced by sustainable agriculture. To assist the efforts for the solution of this burning issue, nine different potential native strains of plant growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB) namely, SA-1(Bacillus subtilis), SA-5 (Stenotrophomonas humi),SA-7(Azospirillum brasilense), BH-1(Azospirillum oryzae), BH-7(Azotobacter armeniacus), BH-8(Rhizobium pusense), BA-3(Azospirillum zeae), BA-6(Rhizobium pusense), and BA-7(Pseudomonas fragi) were isolated that were characterized morphologically, biochemically and molecularly on the basis of 16S rRNA sequencing. Furthermore, the capability of indigenous PGPB in wheat (Triticum aestivum, Chakwal-50) under control, DAP+FYM, SA_-1,5,7, BH_-1,7,8, BA_-3,6,7, DAP+ FYM + SA_-1,5,7, DAP+FYM+ BH_-1,7,8 and DAP+FYM+ BA_-3,6,7 treatments was assessed in a randomized complete block design (RCBD). The results of the study showed that there was a significant increase in plant growth, nutrients, quality parameters, crop yield, and soil nutrients at three depths under SA_-1,5,7, BH_-1,7,8, and BA_-3,6,7 in combination with DAP+FYM. Out of all these treatments, DAP+ FYM + BA_-3,6,7 was found to be the most efficient for wheat growth having the highest 1000-grain weight of 55.1 g. The highest values for plant height, no. of grains/spike, spike length, shoot length, root length, shoot dry weight, root dry weight, 1000 grain weight, biological yield, and economic yield were found to be 90.7 cm, 87.7 cm, 7.20 cm, 53.5 cm, 33.5 cm, 4.87 g, 1.32 g, 55.1 g, 8209 kg/h, and 4572 kg/h, respectively, in the DAP+FYM+BA treatment. The DAP+FYM+BA treatment had the highest values of TN (1.68 µg/mL), P (0.38%), and K (1.33%). Likewise, the value of mean protein (10.5%), carbohydrate (75%), lipid (2.5%), and available P (4.68 ppm) was also highest in the DAP+FYM+BA combination. C:P was found to be significantly highest (20.7) in BA alone but was significantly lowest (11.9) in DAP+FYM+BA. Hence, the integration of strains BA-3, BA-5, and BA-7 in fertilizers can be regarded as the most suitable choice for agricultural growth in the sub-mountainous lower region of AJK. This could serve as the best choice for sustainable wheat growth and improved soil fertility with lesser impacts on the environment.

Keywords: chemical fertilizers; integrated nutrient management; organic fertilizers; plant growth promoting bacteria; wheat.