Abstract
AbstractThe global rise in human population has led to the intensification of agricultural activities to meet the ever-rising food demand. The potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) is a crop with the potential to tackle food security issues in developing countries due to its short growth cycle and high nutrient value. However, its cultivation is heavily dependent on artificial fertilizers for yield maximization which culminates in global warming and other environmental problems. There is need, therefore, for its alternative fertilization technologies to mitigate climate change. This study evaluated the potential of indigenous rhizobacteria for potato cropping in Tanzania. Ten potato rhizobacterial isolates belonging to Enterobacter, Klebsiella, Citrobacter, Serratia, and Enterobacter genera were obtained from a previous collection from different agro-ecological areas in Tanzania. The isolates were characterized culturally, microscopically, biochemically, and by their carbohydrate utilization patterns. Their in vitro plant growth-promoting (PGP) traits such as nitrogen fixation, solubilization of phosphates, potassium, and zinc, and production of siderophores, indole acetic acid, and gibberellic acids were then evaluated. Lastly, sterilized potato seed tubers were bacterized with the inoculants and grown in pots of sterile soil in a screen-house using untreated plants as a control experiment. The potato rhizobacterial isolates had varying characteristics and showed varying in vitro PGP activities. The screen-house experiment also showed that the rhizobacterial treatments significantly (p < 0.05) enhanced different parameters associated with potato growth by up to 91% and established the potential of most of the isolates as alternative biofertilizers in potato cropping systems in Tanzania.
Highlights
Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) is an important crop for food and economic security in developing countries (FAO 2008)
Plant roots secrete nutrient-rich exudates that attract plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) that contribute to plant growth promotion (PGP) directly or indirectly, for instance, through the production of phytohormones and siderophores, solubilization of phosphates, and biological nitrogen fixation (BNF) (Kumar et al 2018)
All colonies were round in form except for E. tabaci MPUS2 and S. liquefaciens KIBS5 which were spreading in form and C. freundii MWANS4 which had a rhizoid appearance
Summary
Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) is an important crop for food and economic security in developing countries (FAO 2008). Attempts to establish suitable alternative fertilization mechanisms for crops to minimize environmental impacts and mitigate climate change are quickly gathering momentum worldwide (Kumar et al 2018) In this context, plant rhizospheres have been the center of attention worldwide for decades. The selected rhizobacteria were studied culturally, microscopically, biochemically and based on their carbohydrate (CHO)-utilization patterns Their in vitro PGP functions and effects on various growth parameters of potato in pot experiments were investigated under screen-house conditions, using un-inoculated potato plants as controls.
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