Interactive effect of PGPR and organic amendments on the growth and yield attributes of Brassica juncea

Abstract

Plant Growth Promoting Rhizobacteria (PGPR) are the rhizosphere bacteria that improve the plant growth by a vast variety of mechanisms like as 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate (ACC) deaminase activity, phosphate solubilization, biological nitrogen fixation (BNF) and siderophore production. PGPR is a biofertilizer that can increase plant growth in diverse environments. The use of these bacteria can reduce our dependence on chemical fertilizers. Organic amendments such as biogas slurry and compost are being used for enhancing soil fertility, crop production and improvement in the soil structure. Biogas produced from biogas slurry (cattle dung) is cost-effective and an efficient source of energy. Compost (orange peel) waste shows a potentially worthy source that can be transformed into a more beneficial product. To evaluate the collaborative potential of rhizobacteria, biogas slurry and compost on Brassica, a pot experiment was conducted under a completely randomized design (CRD) with three replicates. Brassica was harvested at maturity and data regarding shoot and root length, shoot fresh and dry weight, grain yield and other physiological parameters were recorded. Results revealed that the combination of PGPR and biogas slurry (600 kg ha^-1) significantly improved the plant height up to (72%), root length (1.68 folds), shoot fresh weight up to 96% and root fresh weight (2 folds). The cumulative effects of PGPR and compost significantly improved all the yield parameters of the crop in comparison with the control. Hence, the current study emphasizes that the use of biogas slurry and compost along with PGPR may be an efficient strategy to improve the growth and yield of Brassica.