Abstract
ABSTRACT In the banana production system, a sustainable alternative for producing quality plantlets would be inoculation with plant growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB). Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the growth-promoting potential of a bacterial biomass in micropropagated banana plantlets cultivar Prata Catarina, and to identify the mechanisms involved in plant-microorganism interactions. In vitro, the biochemical assays tested were the solubilisation of phosphates, production of enzymes, production of ammonia, siderophores, and indole acetic acid. In the in vivo tests, the plants were bacterised (109CFU mL-1) in two phases: acclimatisation, and cultivation in plastic bags. The design was a randomised block with 9 and 7 repetitions per treatment, which were: T1: control; T2: plants treated with isolate E2 (Bacillus pumilus group); T3: plants treated with RAB9 isolate (B. pumilus) for each phase. Bacterial isolates were capable of producing cellulases, amylases, pectinases, lipases, proteases, and siderophores. The plants gained in height, root length, root dry mass, pseudostem diameter, and leaf area. It is concluded that the PGPB can promote the growth of micropropagated banana plantlets through the production of enzymes and siderophores.
Highlights
The banana crop (Musa spp.) has an important socioeconomic role, and the Northeast region of Brazil is the second major producer, contributing 2.233.7 t in 2017 (Agrianual, 2017)
A sustainable alternative for the reduction of pesticides and soluble fertilisers in the production of these plants would be inoculation with beneficial microorganisms, such as Plant Growth-Promoting Rhizobacteria (PGPR) (Arturson et al, 2006; Romeiro, 2007; Glick, 2012)
The objective of this study was to evaluate the growth-promoting potential of a bacterial biomass on micropropagated plants of the banana cultivar Prata Catarina, as well as to identify the mechanisms involved in this interaction
Summary
The banana crop (Musa spp.) has an important socioeconomic role, and the Northeast region of Brazil is the second major producer, contributing 2.233.7 t in 2017 (Agrianual, 2017). A sustainable alternative for the reduction of pesticides and soluble fertilisers in the production of these plants would be inoculation with beneficial microorganisms, such as Plant Growth-Promoting Rhizobacteria (PGPR) (Arturson et al, 2006; Romeiro, 2007; Glick, 2012). PGPR use different mechanisms of action such as the production of phytohormones, antibiotics, hydrocyanic acid, lytic enzymes, siderophores, phosphate solubilisation, and nitrogen fixation (Glick, 2012; Souza et al, 2015). The use of PGPR is an important tool in agricultural production, primarily due to the demand for a decrease in the dependence on soluble fertilisers and defensives within the context of sustainable agriculture (Kumar et al, 2012; Ahemad & Kibret, 2014)
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