Macrocystis pyrifera algae extracts combined with Azospirillum brasilense ameliorate the Zea mays plants growth submitted to different water conditions

MASCIARELLI, OSCAR; LLANES, ANALIA; LUNA, VIRGINIA; IPARRAGUIRRE, JULIA; VILLASUSO, LAURA

Santa Fe

Congreso; XXXIII Argentinian meeting of Plant Physiology; 2021

Sociedad Argentina de Fisiología Vegetal

To improve crop yields the application of fertilizers to provide nutrients to soils is recommended. An alternative option to substitute nutritional supplements of chemical origin is the use of biofertilizers. This study characterized and analyzed the composition of mineral nutrients, phytohormone-type compounds and metabolomics profile of the extract of the brown alga Macrocystis pyrifera. This extract was also combined with the plant growth promoting bacterium Azospirillum brasilense (Az39) and the effectiveness as a biofertilizer of natural origin was evaluated on Zea mays plants under two different water irrigation treatments. Algae extract combined with Az39, possess a high content of nitrogen, magnesium, phosphorus, gibberellins, cytokinins, auxins and carbohydrates. Consequently, the application of algae and bacteria combination exerted a positive effect on corn growth, both in plants exposed to field capacity conditions and those under water deficit conditions. Thus, this suitable biofertilizing formula may to be used in the corn cultivation under different climatic conditions and water regimes, reducing the dependence of chemical fertilizers and providing an improvement towards sustainable and environmentally friendly agriculture.