Plant growth promoting rhizobacteria increased canola yield and root system

Abstract

Decreasing the use of synthetic chemicals including nitrogen fertilizers is a top priority worldwide for the establishment of sustainable agriculture and high productivity. Using plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) can help in this regard. Identification of PGPRs associate with canola can be of great importance to produce sustainable and low-cost biodiesel also in less favored areas. The objective of this study was to evaluate the growth, and grain yield of canola grown with five different PGPRs. The treatments Azospirillum brasiliense, Methylobacterium komagatae, Rhizobium sp., Azomonas sp., mixture of microorganisms from 1 to 4, and control (no inoculation), in the canola (Brassica napus L) were evaluated. The experiment was performed in a clay soil with six replicates. Plants height and diameter were evaluated at 15, 50, 80, and 110 days after the sowing. At the end of the cycle, root area and grain yield were also calculated. The PGPRs significantly affect root development, shoot dry weight, and grain yield of canola. M. komagacae increased rooting area in 44%. M. komagacae and A. brasiliense resulted in 56 e 53% more grain yield compared to un-inoculated canola, respectively, indicating that PGPRs holds high potential to promote canola productivity.

Keywords:

• Biodiesel
• biostimulant plant
• Brassica napus
• rhizobacteria
• yield components

Acknowledgments

The authors are grateful for the technical support of Prof. Dr. André Luiz Martinez de Oliveira of Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology of Londrina State University (UEL), and for the supply of the rhizobacteria used in this research.

Conflict of interest

No conflict of interest was reported by the authors.