Application of a PGPR bacterial consortium to improve soybean crop yield

POMARES MF; BULACIO GIL N; ESPINOSA URGEL; ADLER C; ZENOFF AM; FARIZANO JV; VINCENT PA; DE CRISTOBAL RE; CARAM DI SANTO C; RUBIO MOLINA AC

VIRTUAL

Congreso; SAIB - SAMIGE 2021; 2021

SAIB - SAMIGE

Plant-associated microbiota can enormously influence on plant traits. Manipulation of these microbial communities holds great potential as an effective way to improve crops, while contributing to a more environmentally benign agriculture. The goal of this study was to evaluate the efficiency of a soybean inoculant under field conditions. The inoculant was composed of by two bacterial strains previously characterized in our laboratory as PGPR (Pseudomonas sp. and Bacillus sp.) and a commercial strain of Bradyrhizobium japonicum. Under controlled conditions, inoculation with the consortium favored seed germination and showed increased growth parameters compared with the control. In addition, the study of phenological stages also confirmed the beneficial effect of the bacterial combination. Next, a field evaluation was carried out in an agronomically productive area of the East of Tucuman having salinity problems. Seeds were inoculated following standard practices. Crop progression until plants reached their physiological maturity was followed by registering the number of plants per linear meter, growth parameters and phenological stage. Manual and mechanic harvest evaluations were carried out to estimate yield. Results demonstrated that seeds inoculated with the consortium had higher number of plants per meter, increased growth and more advanced phenological stage compared with seeds inoculated with the commercial inoculum. Finally, crop yield was increased for the area seeded with the consortium.