N2 fixation, plant growth enhancement and root-surface colonization by rhizobacteria in association with oil palm plantlets under in vitro conditions
2002
Amir H.G., Sains Malaysia Univ. (USM), 11800 USM, Pulau Pinang (Malaysia). School of Biological Sciences | Zulkifli H.S. | Halimi M.S., Putra Malaysia Univ. (UPM), 43400 UPM Serdang, Selangor (Malaysia). Faculty of Agriculture. Dept. of Land Management | Ramlan M. F., Putra Malaysia Univ. (UPM), 43400 UPM Serdang, Selangor (Malaysia). Faculty of Agriculture. Dept. of Crop Science | Marziah M. (eds.), Putra Malaysia Univ. (UPM), 43400 UPM Serdang, Selangor (Malaysia). Dept. of Biochemistry and Microbiology
Association of the N2 fixing plant growth promoting rhizobacteria with various non-leguminoursc crops has reinforced the importance of biological nitrogen fixation (BNF) and plant growth stimulation effects for developing sustainable agricultural practices especially in the tropics. This concept could be implemented to the agricultural industry based on economic crops (e.g. oil palm) and creat the sector to be more profitable. Based on that, an experiment under the vitro conditions using sterilized tissue cultured oil palm plantlets was conducted in test tubes to observe the ability of selected rhizobacteria to fix N2, promote plant growth, enhanced N uptake and colonized roots of the associated host plants under sterile conditions. Results from the experiment have shown that Azospirillum spp. (Sp 7) could contribute up to 66% of the host plant N requirement (%Ndfa), while locally isolated Basillus spp. (UPMB 13) recorded up to 55% Ndfa at D56. The inoculation (especially Sp 7 and UPMB 13) also caused significant increased in total N and higher leaf chlorophyll content of the host plants. The rhizobacterial tested especially CCM 3863 had enhanced more formation of primary root numbers and length even compared to the control (+N;). Besides that, the inoculation process also showed positive enhancement on total dry matter accumulation of the host plants although the effects were not statistically significant (P less than 0.05) to the control supplied with full N;. All of the inocula tested could successfully colonize the root-surface and benefited the host plants. Based on the above findings there were evidence that Azospirillum and locally isolated rhizobacteria (Bacillus spp.) were potentially effective biofertilizer and bioenhancer for sustainable oil palm seedlings production.
Show more [+] Less [-]AGROVOC Keywords
Bibliographic information
This bibliographic record has been provided by Universiti Putra Malaysia
