Endophytic bacteria enhanced growth, fruit yield and quality in Phalsa (Grewia asiatica L.)

Abstract

There is an immense need to replace chemical fertilizers with biofertilizers to address the soil, environment, and health issues. Endophytic bacteria act as biocontrol agents and promote plant growth and yield. Present study was designed to evaluate the microbial effect of endophytic bacteria on growth, fruit yield and quality of phalsa (Grewia asiatica L.). Three years old healthy, disease and insect-pest free plants were selected for the study. Experiment was laid out in randomized complete block design with four treatments; control, two bacteria such as Burkholderia phytofirmans strain PsJN, Bacillus sp. strain MN54 and their combination (PsJN + MN54) with three replications. The treatments were applied after pruning (January) and flowering (March) as plants need nutrition for both vegetative and reproductive growth. Combined application of PsJN + MN54 resulted in greater vegetative and reproductive growths of plants i.e. number of shoots/plant (29.6), number of leaves/shoot (15.9), number of fruit clusters/shoot (14.0), number of fruits/cluster (14.1), fruit weight (13.7 g) and yield/plant (8.8 kg) than PsJN or MN54 alone and control. Fruit biochemical characteristic i.e. TSS (8.78 °Brix), TA (0.53%), ascorbic acid (44.44 mg 100 mL-1), total sugar (12.29%), reducing sugar (9.59%) and non-reducing sugar (4.92%) contents were also higher in plants treated with PsJN + MN54. All growth, yield and biochemical parameters correlated positively with each other except titratable acidity. Based on performance, the combined treatment (PsJN + MN54) can be applied at two stages, after pruning and at flowering, for better growth, yield and quality of phalsa crop.