Growth Response of Lettuce after Application of Mixed Organic Fertilizer Containing Bacillus amyloliquefaciens HSOB-7 and Saccharomyces cerevisiae HSOB-8

Abstract

Bacillus spp. and Saccharomyces spp. are effective microorganisms that are applied as microbial fertilizers for crops in Korea. Mixed organic fertilizer (MOF) has been used in the Korean organic agriculture to supply nutrients to crops. This study was conducted to investigate the effects of MOF containing Bacillus amyloliquefaciens HSOB-7 and Saccharomyces cerevisiae HSOB-8 (MOFBS) on the soil chemical properties and growth of lettuce (Lactuca sativa). Growth factors of lettuce were higher after applying different formulation types of MOFBS, such as powder and pellet, than those of NF, and not significantly different than those of control (microbe-free MOF). Compared with the control, application of recommended amount of MOFBS (MOFBS 250 kg/10a, MOFBS treatment) and double the recommended amount (MOFBS 500 kg/10a, 2MOFBS treatment) did not significantly change the growth factors of lettuce. After the application of two formulation types or two different amounts of MOFBS, soil chemical properties such as electrical conductivity, organic matter (OM), exchangeable Ca, and cation exchangeable cation (CEC) increased. These results indicated that although the application of MOFBS improved soil fertility including OM and CEC, it did not significantly affect lettuce growth.