Effect of Beneficial Microbes on Macronutrient Uptake and Oil Palm Seedling Growth in Peat Soil

Abstract

Peat soil has low fertility due to low content of macronutrients, such as N, P, K, Ca, & Mg. Efforts that can be made to increase nutrient availability and nutrient uptake for plants on peatlands are the utilization of beneficial microbes such as endophytic bacteria and arbuscular mycorrhizae. This study aims to identify the role of endophytic bacteria and arbuscular mycorrhizae applied to peat soil media to help increase macronutrient uptake and the growth of oil palm seedlings (main nursery). This study was conducted in June – December 2022. The peat soil sample was collected from oil palm plantations located in Siak Regency, Riau, with coordinates 0°45′22″ N, 101°44′27″ E. The experimental design used in this study was a completely randomized design (CRD) with 8 treatments and 5 replicates. The treatment given in this study was a variation of beneficial microbes with zeolite as the carrier. Beneficial microbes used in this study were arbuscular mycorrhizae, namely Glomus sp, and endophytic bacteria, i.e. Burkholderia cenocepacia and Pseudomonas fluorescens. Parameters observed in this study were plant growth (every 1 month) and leaf nutrient (6 months after planted). The results of this study indicated that the consortium application of endophytic bacteria and arbuscular mycorrhizae was the best treatment which was shown to have the best growth of oil palm seedlings compared to all treatments with plant height increment of 55.5 cm; stem diameter increment of 34.3 mm; and the number of fronds addition as many as 11 fronds. This is also supported by macronutrients content in the leaves of oil palm seedlings such as N, P, and K.