Abstract
Greenhouse and field experiments were conducted to test the effectiveness of biofertilizers on switchgrass (Panicum virgatum) yields compared to inorganic fertilizer and a zero-control. In the greenhouse, Variovorax paradoxus JM63, JumpStart® (Penicillium bilaii), inorganic fertilizer and control treatments resulted in significantly higher per L pot biomass yields compared to the control treatment; 2.74 (±0.24), 2.55 (±0.10), 2.52 (±0.24) and 1.34 (±0.09) g L-1, respectively. As JumpStart® is a commercially available biofertilizer, it was used in the field experiment along with inorganic and control treatments. All three treatments were applied to established (2014) switchgrass plots. Significantly (p<0.05) higher biomass yields of 10.73 (±1.33) and 7.67 (±0.30) Mg ha-1 were recorded for JumpStart® and inorganic fertilizer treatments, respectively, when compared to the zero-control biomass yield of 5.36 (±0.87) Mg ha-1. The enumeration soil test revealed that soil from JumpStart® and zero-control treatments had 20033, and <100 cfu/g of soil of Penicillium spp., respectively. Results suggest that commercially available JumpStart® could replace/supplement inorganic fertilizer application on well-established switchgrass fields but, its influence on long-term biomass yields need to be further verified.
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