Efficacy of organic‐based carrier material for plant beneficial rhizobacteria application in okra under normal and salt‐affected soil conditions

AIMS: Plant beneficial rhizobacteria (PBR) improve salt tolerance and plant yield in vegetable plants by producing 1‐aminocyclopropane‐1‐carboxylate‐deaminase, indole‐3‐acetic acid and phosphate solubilization. Organic‐based carrier material is needed to ensure the PBR's uniform application, distribution, survival and functioning in a variety of fields. The PBR also use carbon present in the carrier as food and energy source. The selection of a suitable organic‐based carrier material for the application of the PBR in normal and saline soils always has received less attention. The current study compared the PBR suitability of different organic‐based carrier materials (biochar, biogas residues [BGRs] and coconut powder) and evaluated their effects on okra productivity under normal and saline soil conditions. METHODS AND RESULTS: In a pot experiment, the PBR strain Bacillus sp. MR‐1/2 (accession number, MG548383) was applied with/or without organic‐based carrier materials to okra grown in three different soils: S1 (EC 1.0 dS m⁻¹), S2 (EC 3.0 dS m⁻¹) and S3 (EC 5.0 dS m⁻¹). The experiment was set up in a completely randomized design with five replicates in factorial arrangement. Results indicated that in soil S1, PBR + BGR increased the number of pods per plant, plant dry weight and indole compounds by 64%, 68% and 17% while reduced the electrolyte leakage (ELL), malonaldehyde (MDA) contents and stress ethylene level by 17%, 55% and 38%, respectively over the PBR application without any carrier. Similarly, in soil S2, the treatment PBR + BGR increased the number of pods by 81%, plant dry weight by 40% and indole compounds by 13% while reduced the ELL by 17%, MDA contents by 50% and stress ethylene by 30% over the PBR alone treatment. In soil S3, PBR + biochar increased the number of pods by 51%, plant dry weight by 62% and indole compounds by 20%, while reduced the ELL by 21%, MDA by 40% and indole compounds by 54% over the PBR alone treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Results concluded that in soil S1 and S2 (normal soils), BGR as carrier for PBR showed best results, while in soil S3, biochar as carrier for PBR resulted in enhanced potassium (K⁺) and calcium (Ca⁺²) uptake and increased the productivity of okra. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF STUDY: Response of different carrier materials in supporting PBR under different soil conditions was variable. This study will help in the selection and use of best suitable carrier material for PBR application under different soil conditions. It is recommended that farmer should use BGR as carrier material for PBR application in normal soils while biochar should be used as carrier for the PBR application in saline soil.