The potential of indigenous rhizobacteria from areca nut rhizosphere in South Konawe regency as a plant growth promoter

Abstract

Sustainable agriculture focuses on the applied of biological resources in agricultural cultivation process, therefore exploration and isolation of potential microbes as biological fertilizers need to be continuously developed. The research aim was to get the potential indigenous rhizobacteria isolates from the rhizosphere of areca nut plants as plant growth promotor. The experiment consists of 4 series based on the location of isolate collection, namely Angata 7 isolates, Landono 7 isolates, Palangga 6 isolates, and 4 isolates Wolasi, using a complete randomized design with three replications. The potential of these various isolates on a laboratory scale was evaluated via seed viability and vigour tests using upland rice as indicator plant. Inoculation of seeds using rhizobacteria isolates was able to improve the viability and vigour of rice seeds as shown by increasing potential development, germination percentage, vigour index, and relative growth rate as compared to control. The research found that 19 isolates which have the potential to promote plant growth were selected, namely AG1, AG2, AG3, AG4 and AG7 (Angata), LD1, LD2, LD3, LD4, LD5 and LD7 (Landono), PL1, PL2, PL5, PL6 (Palangga) and WL1, WL2, WL3 and WL4 (Wolasi). Field-scale experiments is required to evaluate these potential isolates as biofertilizers.