Influence of Rhizosphere-Isolated Indigenous Bacteria on Growth and Yield of Soybean (Glycine max L.) Devon 2 Varieties in Mugarsari Land

Abstract

Indigenous bacteria thriving in natural environments can serve as an alternative to biofertilizers in promoting plant growth. This study aimed to isolate and quantify the abundance of bacteria from the rhizospheres of calopo (Calopogonium mucunoides), reeds (Imperata cylindrica), and kirinyuh (Eupatorium odoratum) in Mugarsari land. Furthermore, the effects of applying isolated nitrogen-fixing bacteria, phosphatesolubilizing bacteria, and organic matter-decomposing bacteria on the growth and yield of soybean (Glycine max L.) Devon 2 varieties were investigated. A randomized block design with five treatments and five replications was employed. Results revealed a diverse range and abundance of bacteria isolated from calopo plants, reeds, and kirinyuh in the Mugarsari land rhizosphere. Bacterial inoculation significantly influenced the number of leaves, total chlorophyll content, the total number of effective root nodules, and the shoot/root ratio in soybean plants. However, plant height, leaf area, root length, the total number of ineffective root nodules, wet weight of plant biomass, number of pods per plant, number of seeds per plant, weight of seeds per plant, and weight of 100 dried seeds were not significantly affected. This study highlights the potential of indigenous bacteria as an eco-friendly alternative in enhancing soybean growth and yield in Mugarsari land.