Evaluation of Biofertilizers Prepared from Local Bacterial Isolates in the Growth and Yield of Cowpea in Gypsiferous Soil

Abstract

For clean and sustainable agriculture based on natural, non-chemical products, a field experiment was conducted during the agricultural season 2021-2022 on the cowpea plant in Salah Al-Din Governorate to evaluate the effect of six biofertilizers prepared from local bacterial isolates, which included: Bradyrhizobium manausense, Bradyrhizobium vignae, Rhizobium sp., Enterobacter cloaca, Enterobacter ludwigii, Bacillus cereus, in the growth and yield of cowpea in gypsiferous soil. The results showed that all inoculated treatments were significantly superior to the control treatment in all growth and yield traits of cowpea plant, it also appeared that a significant superiority of Brad. manausense biofertilizer followed by Brady. vignae in all plant traits: root nodules number, weight of root nodules, plant height, dry weight of plant, early yield of pods, concentration of nitrogen and phosphorus in plant as it recorded 53 nodule plant−1, 2.01 g nodule−1, 58.42 cm, 63.83g plant−1, 3658 g plant−1, 4.12 N %, 0.49 P % respectively, compared to the control treatment which recorded 0 nodule plant−1, 0 g nodule−1, 27.1 cm, 15.32g plant−1 950 g plant−1, 1.34 N %, 0.13 P % respectively, and the results showed that the treatments with Rhizobium sp., Enterobacter cloaca, Enterobacter ludwigii, Bacillus cereus biofertizers did not record any formation of root nodules, also the results indicated that the treatment inoculated with the inoculum prepared from Enterobacter cloaca bacteria was superior to Rhizobium sp, Bacillus cereus, Enterobacter ludwigii treatments in plant height, shoot dry weight and pod yield of cowpea plant.