Improving Nutrient Uptake, Growth, Yield and Protein Content in Chickpea by the Co-Addition of Phosphorus Fertilizers, Organic Manures, and Bacillus sp. MN-54

Muhammad Imran Khan,Muhammad Junaid Afzal,Sardar Alam Cheema,Muhammad Sanaullah,Zhongbing Chen,Safdar Bashir,Sara Anum,Abdul Wakeel,Muhammad Hayder Ali,Muhammad Naveed

doi:10.3390/agronomy11030436

Muhammad Imran Khan, Muhammad Junaid Afzal + Show 8 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy11030436

Copy DOI

Abstract

The main purpose of this study was to examine the impact of different phosphorus (P) fertilizers and organic manures alone and in combination with Bacillus sp. MN-54 on growth, yield, nutrient uptake, chlorophyll (SPAD value) and crude proteins content of chickpea. The simple manure (SM), processed manure (PM), single super phosphate (SSP), and rock phosphate (RP) were applied individually and in different combinations to the soil in pots, and the chickpea seeds treated with Bacillus sp. MN-54 were sown in the selective pots. Results showed that individual use of SM, PM, SSP, RP, and strain MN-54 significantly increased (P ≤ 0.05) the nutrient uptake, growth, yield, and protein content of chickpea as compared to control treatments. While the combined use of SM or PM, SSP or RP, and MN-54 further enhanced this effect. Among different treatments, combined use of RP, PM and MN-54 proved the most effective treatment showing increase of 37.5 and 42.6% in shoot and root lengths, 43.4 and 38.3% in fresh and dry shoot weights, 36.1 and 36.5% in fresh and dry root weights, 45.8% in no. of pods, 43.6% in nodules counts, 16.0% in 100-grain weight and 31–36% nutrient uptake over control treatments. Our findings suggest that the co-addition of organic manures and P fertilizers along with plant growth promoting bacteria (i.e., Bacillus sp. MN-54) not only increases the growth and yield but also improves nodulation, nutrient uptake, and crude proteins content in chickpea.

Highlights

Leguminous crops are considered as an important component of all types of farming systems in agriculture-based countries
Our results showed that addition of P fertilizers and manures with strain MN-54 resulted in a great increase in chickpea growth which is quite consistent with previous reports [28,44]
We examined the effects of different P fertilizers and organic manures addition with and without Bacillus sp

Summary

Introduction

Leguminous crops are considered as an important component of all types of farming systems in agriculture-based countries. Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) ranks third among leguminous crops after pea (Pisum sativum L.) and beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) [1]. Chickpea is a good source of proteins and can serve as an alternative to meat [2]. Chickpea has very high requirement of phosphorus (P). The P plays important roles in different processes of metabolism such as macromolecular biosynthesis, energy transfer, respiration and photosynthesis reaction [3]. An optimum amount of P is required by the plants from early seedling stage to maturity [4]

Objectives

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion