Unlocking the potential plant growth-promoting properties of chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) seed endophytes bio-inoculants for improving the soil health and crop production

Abstract

Sustainable agronomic practices are tried all over the world to promote safe and eco-friendly crop production. Therefore, in the present study, the effect of seed endophytic bacteria and its consortia on soil biochemical property, soil nutrient, and yield of chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) under field and pot conditions are investigated. Both the experimental results proved a significant increase in total soil organic carbon (OC), electric conductivity (EC), organic matter (OM), soil nutrient like available N, P and K content and important soil enzymes like dehydrogenase (DHA), beta glucosidase, alkaline phosphate, and urease was observed under the Enterobacter hormaechei BHUJPCS-15 (T1), Enterobacter cloacae BHUJPCS-21 (T2) and combined T3 (consortia of T1 and T2) treatments. Similarly, a significant increase in the grain yield (27-45% and 57-73%) in microbial treatment was found in pot and field experiments, respectively than control. In addition, whereas the higher plant biomass (14-38% and 42-78%) was recorded in the treated plant over the control plant. Similarly, the plant photosynthetic pigment (Chl a, b, total Chl) were also increased in the microbial treated plant than the control untreated chickpea plant. Our present study highlights the significance of sustainable agronomic practices for improving the soil quality and agricultural yield while reducing adverse impacts of chemicals by the use of seed endophytic microbes and their consortia.

Effect of integration of poultry manure and vinasse on the abundance and diversity of soil fauna, soil fertility index, and barley (Hordeum aestivum L.) growth in calcareous soils

“…Castro et al [15] found the possibility of using poultry manure to improve burnt soil and increase rye-grass yield. The application of seed endophytic microbial consortium as bio-fertilizer helps to increase soil health and soil biodiversity, improved chickpea yield, and reduce the use of chemical fertilizers that are harmful to the environment [16,17].…”

Inoculation with phosphate‐solubilizing bacteria alters microbial community and activates soil phosphorus supply to promote maize growth

“…Phosphate‐solubilizing bacteria (PSB) are essential components in soil P cycling (Mahdi et al, 2020; Mukherjee et al, 2021). The PSB is the vital driver of P transformation and dominates the composition of P fractions.…”