Esmaeil Bakhshandeh; Hemmatollah Pirdashti; Fezzeh Gholitabar Faramarzi; Tayebeh Zholideh Rodposhti; Faezeh Zaefarian
Abstract
Objective: This study was performed to evaluate the effect of Rahnella aquatilis and Burkholderia cepacia bacteria on yield, yield components, and uptake of potassium and zinc elements in rice (Oryza sativa L.).
Methods: The experiment was conducted as a split-plot in a randomized complete block design ...
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Objective: This study was performed to evaluate the effect of Rahnella aquatilis and Burkholderia cepacia bacteria on yield, yield components, and uptake of potassium and zinc elements in rice (Oryza sativa L.).
Methods: The experiment was conducted as a split-plot in a randomized complete block design with three replications in 2022. Treatments included two levels of chemical fertilizer (100 and 75% of chemical fertilizer consumption based on the soil test results as optimal and reduced fertilizer levels, respectively) and four inoculation treatments (separate inoculation of R. aquatilis, B. cepacia, a co-inoculation (R.aquatilis+B.cepacia) and control (non-inoculation)).
Results: The results indicated that there was no significant difference between the optimal and reduced fertilizer levels in all the studied traits. The separate inoculation of R. aquatilis, B.cepacia and their co-inoculation increased the panicle length (from 5.88 to 11.3%), the number of total tillers in hill-1 (from 19.4 to 29.1%), the total number of grains in panicle-1 (from 22.8 to 46.5%), paddy yield (from 22.8 to 44.3%), biological yield (from 20.3 to 33.6%), 1000-seed weight (from 2.4 to 8.8%), potassium uptake in grain (from 6.0 to 41.4%) and in above-ground biomass (from 38.4 to 65.4%), zinc uptake in grain (from 6.29 to 40.9%) and in above-ground biomass (29.4 to 54.6%) as compared with the control (non-inoculation).
Conclusion: The application of plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria in combination (as the best inoculation treatment) reduced chemical fertilizers consumption without a significant reduction in the paddy yield, indicating the importance of these rhizobacteria for achieving sustainable agriculture goals.