Responses of Spinach Plants to Poultry Manure, Inoculation With Plant Growth – Promoting Rhizobacteria (Pgpr) and Spraying Bio-Stimulant

Abstract

Two field experiments were carried out on spinach (Spinasia oleracea L.) plants cv. Baladi to study the effects of 4 tones / fed. of poultry manure or recommended chemical fertilizers [250 kg/fed. ammonium sulphate (20.5%N)+ 200 kg/fed. calcium super phosphate (15.5%P2O5)+ 75kg /fed. potassium sulphate (84.5%K2O) at the rates of full dose, ½ dose or 1/4 dose for each. Seeds were uninoculated or inoculated with plant growthpromoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) which included Azotobacter chroococcum, phosphate dissolving bacteria Bacillus megaterium, potassium release bacteria Bacillus cerculans and Bradyrhizobium japonicum. Moreover, plants were sprayed with water or foliar biostimulant (Setter-2) which containing ascorbic, citric acids N, Cu, Ca, B and Mn twice after 15 and 25 days of planting on plant growth and yield .Spinach plants received the pervious treatments in combination or single as well as evaluate phytohormone biosynthesis, cyanogens (HCN) and siderophores production and phosphate solubilization in some bacterial strains to be used as a plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR).The results indicated that using ½ dose of poultry manure + PGPR + spraying with setter-2 led to the highest plant weight in both seasons and plant length in the second season as well as leaves number/plant and total yield/fed. in the first season. Meanwhile, ½ dose of poultry manure + ½ dose of chemical fertilizer + spraying with setter-2 resulted in the highest leaves number / plant and total yield/fed. in the second season as well as dry matter percentage of leaves in both seasons. Concerning chemical components in spinach planting , applying ½ dose of poultry manure + PGPR + spraying with setter-2 caused the highest N% and total sugars concentration in the leaves in both seasons .The highest P and K % were obtained with supplying ¾ NPK + PGPR + spraying stter-2 in both seasons and second season, respectively. ½ dose of poultry manure + PGPR caused the highest K% in the first season. On the other hand, the highest total soluble phenol and total free amino acids recorded due to use ½ dose of poultry manure + ½ dose of recommended NPK and full dose of poultry manure respectively, in both seasons. Nitrate concentrationwere the highest in plants received recommended chemical fertilizers while plants received PGPR followed by poultry manure caused the lowest values in both seasons. Chlorophyll concentration in leaves not significantly affected by the type of fertilization in both seasons. There were differences between rhizobacteria strains in its ability to production phytohormone biosynthesis, cyanogens (HCN) and siderophores production and phosphate solubilization.