Phosphorus-solubilizing bacterial endophytes, Burkholderia silvatlantica L-VT09 and N-VT06, in improving characteristics of acid sulfate soil and pineapple yield

Abstract

Acid sulfate soils are limiting the productivity of pineapples (Ananas comosus (L.) Merr. var. comosus) by lacking available P content. This study aims to evaluate the potency of P-solubilizing bacterial endophytes, Burkholderia silvatlantica L-VT09 and N-VT06, on acid sulfate soil properties and features of pineapples grown in that soil. The two-factor experiment was arranged according to a completely randomized block design. One factor was P fertilizer levels: 25% P, 50% P, 75% P, and 100% P; the other was supplementations of P-solubilizing bacterial endophytes: No supplementations, individual supplementation of L-VT09, individual supplementation of N-VT06, and mixed supplementation of both L-VT09 and N-VT06. The result revealed that supplying the mixture of B. silvatlantica L-VT09 and N-VT06 did improve the soil fertility as increasing available P content and bacterial density (12.6 mg P kg -1 and 3.82 most probable number g -1 dry soil weight, respectively), P uptake (19.2 kg ha -1 ), growth as boosting plant height (8.30 cm), leaves number per plant (6.60 leaves plant -1 ), D-leaf length and width (2.80 and 0.32 cm, correspondingly), stem size (3.40 cm in length and 0.44 cm in diameter), yield components as enhancing fruit length and fruit diameter (3.50 and 1.46 cm, sequentially), yield (11.5 t ha -1 ), and pineapple fruit quality as ameliorating sugar content (1.71 °Brix) and water content (166.4 mL), in comparison with the no bacteria supplied case. Supplying the mixture of B. silvatlantica L-VT09 and N-VT06 altered 75% P but still maintained pineapple yield.