Preparation of Plant Growth Enhancing Bioformulation from Agricultural Wastes by Solid State Fermentation

Abstract

Preparation of organic waste based bioformulation through solid state fermentation technology for application in the field offers an ecofriendly and viable alternative to sustainable food production. The present study deals with the potential of seven agrowastes as substrate carriers for the growth of indigenous strains of Pseudomonas fluorescens (Pf) and Bacillus subtilis (Bs) that stimulate plant growth. The cosubstrate (CS) with equal proportion of the seven agrowastes and both the bioinoculants (CSPfBs) proved as the best substrate carrier with highest population load of the bioinoculants at 45 days after storage (DAS). Thereafter the population declined steadily in all the bioformulations from 60 DAS to 90 DAS. However, CSPfBs gave the highest population load at 90 DAS. As individual substrate for both Pf and Bs, vermicompost performed best with a population load of 9.95 of Pf and 9.98 of Bs at 90 DAS. The bioformulations CSPfBs, VBs and VPf when applied in soil, gave the best yield in brinjal plants (Solanum melongena L. cv. Pusa Kranti) at 30 days after transplanting. Similar trends were also observed in the other yield parameters. The study indicates the scope of the prepared bioinoculant as a low cost eco friendly option for promotion of growth and yield of crops.