Biofertilizer Activity of Azospirillum sp. B510 on the Rice Productivity in Ghana.

Chihiro Tokiwa,Ralph Bam,Shin Okazaki,Samuel Oppong Abebrese,Michiko Yasuda,Eric Kwesi Nartey,Patrick Bonney,Daniel Asiamah Aboagye,Alex Yeboah,Elsie Sarkodee-Addo

doi:10.3390/microorganisms9092000

Abstract

Rice production in Ghana has become unsustainable due to the extremely nutrient-poor soils. It is caused by inadequate soil fertility management, including the inefficient application of fertilizers. A practical solution could be the biofertilizers, Azospirillum sp. B510. We performed field trials in Ghana and Japan to compare the effects of B510 colonization on selected Ghanaian rice varieties grown. The B510 inoculation significantly enhanced the rice cultivars’ growth and yield. The phenotypic characteristics observed in rice varieties Exbaika, Ex-Boako, AgraRice, and Amankwatia were mainly short length and high tillering capacity. These features are attributed to the host plant (cv. Nipponbare), from which the strain B510 was isolated. Furthermore, Azospirillum species has been identified as the dominant colonizing bacterium of rice rhizosphere across a diverse range of agroecologies in all major rice-growing regions in Ghana. Our results suggest that the utilization of B510 as a bio-fertilizer presents a promising way to improve rice growth, enhance soil fertility, and sustain rice productivity in Ghana.

Highlights

IntroductionRice (Oryza sativa L.) is a staple food source for over half the world’s population, with a volume of over 700 million tons [1,2]
We visualized the colonization of B510 in four selected Ghanaian rice cultivars (Ex-Amantin, Ex-Boako, Bawku-Market, and Zebila) by performing an inoculation test using DsRED
In the second field trial conducted at Golinga, we examined four commercial rice varieties (AgraRice, Amankwatia, Exbaika, and Jasmine85) under a continuous irrigation system, nitrogen fertilization and B510 inoculation

Summary

Introduction

Rice (Oryza sativa L.) is a staple food source for over half the world’s population, with a volume of over 700 million tons [1,2]. The demand rate has increased over the last two decades, and domestic rice production has not kept pace with this surge, fulfilling less than 40% of the national consumption [9,10]. This observed low yield has been attributed to several factors including nutrient-poor soils resulting from inadequate soil fertility management, recurrent droughts during the growing season, and the standard of the machinery used in production [9,11]. Farmers have been forced to rely on the application of chemical fertilizers and herbicides in order to maximize

Methods

Results

Conclusion