Co-inoculation With Rhizobacteria and Mycorrhizae Can Improve Wheat/Faba Bean Intercrop Performance Under Field Conditions

Abstract

Current challenges of climate changes and demographic expansion have imposed increasing awareness about innovation in sustainable agricultural practices. Farming practices like intercropping have many benefits in terms of nutrient use and yield stability. Improving the performance of intercropping systems by the application of beneficial microorganisms (rhizobacteria and/or mycorrhizae) constitutes a promising strategy. In this regard, this study aimed to assess the effect of inoculation with beneficial microorganisms on wheat as monocrop or intercrop with faba bean, using four inoculation treatments: (i) inoculation with rhizobacteria, (ii) inoculation with mycorrhizae, (iii) inoculation with the rhizobacteria-mycorrhizae consortium, and (iv) a control treatment consisting of uninoculated plants. Results showed that rhizobacteria-mycorrhizae co-inoculation under intercropping system improved plant dry weight and spike weight of wheat by 375 and 162%, respectively, compared with uninoculated intercropped wheat. The thousand-seed weight was improved by 86% in wheat intercropped and inoculated with the rhizobacteria-mycorrhizae consortium. Furthermore, higher P and N concentrations were observed in shoots and spikes of wheat intercropped with faba bean, and this increase was also observed in response to inoculation with the rhizobacteria-mycorrhizae consortium in terms of P in shoots and spikes (by 74 and 18%) of intercropped wheat. In addition, intercropped wheat has significantly accumulated sugar in the seeds for all inoculated treatments (except inoculation with mycorrhizae). Overall, these findings revealed that intercropping and inoculation yielded better, suggesting that intercropping combined with the application of beneficial microorganisms, such as rhizobacteria and mycorrhizae, have the potential to improve overall crop yield.

Screening of rhizobacteria for multi-trait plant growth-promoting ability and antagonism against B. fabae, the causative agent of chocolate spot disease of faba bean

“…The ability of various rhizobacteria to promote plant growth, increase crop yield, improve soil quality, and control phytopathogens in different crops, including faba beans, has been reported by [ [31] , [32] , [33] , [34] , [35] ]. However, the performance of rhizobacteria inoculants in the field was in question.…”

Peningkatan Viabilitas dan Vigor Benih Kakao (<i>Theobroma cocoa</i> L.) Menggunakan Campuran Rizobakteri dan Mikoriza

“…Selain rizobakteri, penggunaan mikoriza secara tunggal mampu meningkatkan perkecambahan benih cabai meskipun telah disimpan 3 tahun (Poštić et al, 2019) Kombinasi rizobakteri dan mikoriza juga dapat meningkatkan penyerapan unsur hara tanah yang berperan dalam pertumbuhan tanaman, infeksi patogen akar dan meningkatkan ketahanan tanaman terhadap kekeringan (Munarti et al, 2018). Lebih lanjut dilaporkan bahwa inokulasi rhizobakterimikoriza mampu meningkatkan bobot kering tanaman gandum dan serapan hara N dan P (Raklami et al, 2021). Penelitian lain juga melaporkan bahwa pemberian pupuk hayati berbasis mikoriza arbuskular dan rizobakteri pemacu pertumbuhan tanaman dengan interval aplikasi 2 minggu dan 1 bulan sekali dapat meningkatkan tinggi, diameter dan berat kering bibit kakao (Widowati et al, 2020).…”