Inoculation with Bacillus spp. combined with nitrogen fertilization increases growth and uptake of macronutrients in chickpea

Abstract

The inoculation of rhizobacteria such as Bacillus sp. together with balanced fertilization favor nutrient uptake and growth of cultivated legumes. In this sense, the objective was to evaluate the inoculation with a mix of Bacillus spp. and the application of doses of N on the growth and accumulation of nutrients in chickpea. The study was carried out in a randomized block design with four repetitions in a 2 x 6 factorial arrangement. The first factor consisted in the presence or absence of the Bacillus spp. mix (concentration of 1 x 107 CFU per mL) of root isolates and the second factor consisted in six doses of N: 0, 25, 50, 75, 100, and 125 kg ha-1, applied thirty days after plant emergence. At 75 days after emergence, the plants had the following decreasing order of nutrient accumulation in the aerial part (in kg ha-1): N (109.71) > K (68.94) > Ca (25.28) > Mg (10.17) > P (4.98) > Na (2.23). Inoculation with the Bacillus spp. mix increased rhizobia nodulation in the roots, K, Ca, and Na uptake, and chickpea growth as assessed by leaf, stem, root, and total dry mass. The application of different doses of N increased total and aerial dry mass, reduced Na accumulation and increased N uptake, and the application of 37 kg ha-1 of N is recommended to obtain greater aerial biomass in chickpea crops, combined with the inoculation of seeds with a mix of Bacillus spp.