Abstract
The inoculation with plant growth-promoting bacteria can be a technological approach useful for increasing the production of maize. The objective of this study was to evaluate the initial performance of maize in response to application of doses of NPK combined with the inoculation of the diazotrophic bacteria Herbaspirillum seropedicae in an greenhouse experiment. The experiment consisted of six fertilizer levels: 0, 25, 50, 75, 100 and 200% of the recommended dose of NPK applied to maize inoculated and non-inoculated with H. seropedicae. At 30 days after the treatment application, the growth characteristics and nutritional status of the plants were evaluated. Plant development was influenced by fertilization, but it was enhanced by combination with the bacteria, which resulted in significant increases in the dry mass of shoots (7%) and leaf area (9%) when compared with non-inoculated plants. The results showed increases in the concentration of N (11%), P (30%) and K (17%) of maize plants in response to bacterial inoculation together with NPK compared with plants that were applied fertilize only. The greater consistency and stability response of the host plant to bacterization in the presence of chemical fertilizer indicate a promissory biotechnological approach for improving the initial growth and adaptation of maize to the cultivation environment.
Highlights
With the growing demand for increased yield in agriculture, grows the demand for new technologies with less impact on natural resources
This study aimed to study the initial growth and mineral nutrition of maize (Zea mays L.) in response to application of NPK rates combined with the inoculation with the diazotrophic bacterium Herbaspirilum seropedicae
The analysis of growth of shoots indicated, in general, positive effect of treatments that combined NPK mineral fertilizer with the growth-promoting bacteria Herbaspirillum seropedicae compared with the use of only fertilizers
Summary
With the growing demand for increased yield in agriculture, grows the demand for new technologies with less impact on natural resources. The use of micro-organisms promoters of plant growth may help or even meet the demand of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) in different crops (Rodriguez & Fraga, 1999; Baldani et al, 2009; Baldotto et al, 2010). N and P are present in limiting concentrations in tropical soils and affect agricultural yield. Mineral fertilizers are used to meet the need of these nutrients. Mineral fertilizers have shown growing increase in production costs, mainly because they often require non-renewable raw materials and/or demand high energy costs for their production (Novais & Mello, 2007).
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