Two or more bacterial mixtures increase tea plant growth, yield, nutrient intake and antioxidant enzyme activity

Abstract

This study was carried out in order to determine bacterial strains that can be used as biological fertilizer in tea cultivation. The present study assessed possible effects of mineral NPK fertilizer (TF: 80 kg ha−1 compound 25: 5:10) and ACC deaminase-containing, N2-fixing, and P-solubilizing 6 bacteria strains as single (T1-T6:Pseudomonas fluorescens RC483, Pseudomonas fluorescens RC77E, Pseudomonas putida RC19b, Bacillus licheniformis RC5B2, Bacillus subtilis RC5A2, Bacillus pumilus RC7A1), binary (T7: RC483 + RC5A2, T8: RC77E + RC7A1), triple (T9: RC77E + RC5A2+ RC5B2, T10: RC483+ RC19b + RC7A1) and quadruple (T11: RC77E + RC5B2 + RC7A1+ RC5A2) inoculations, chemical fertilizer (80 kg ha−1 compound 25: 5: 10) and control treatments on growth, yield, yield, nutrient uptake and enzyme activity of Pazar-20 tea clones manufactured for commercial purposes. Experimental groups determined in the present study were formed by considering the results of our preliminary study and bacteria that do not have antagonistic effects on each other. Results showed that dual, triple and quadruple inoculations stimulated overal second and third leaf area, leaf yield, macro- and micro-nutrient concenrations, chlorophyll and anthocyanin content, and antioxidant, oxidative, catalytic, hydrolytic and quality-related enzymes activity. Tea plant growth responses were dependent on the inoculant strain and formulations used, as well as on the parameters evaluated. In conclusion, bacterial seed inoculations especially with quadruple bacterial formulation determined to be most effective in tea growth can improve tea yield and productivity on sustainable basis. The ability to increase enzyme activity, which may be important in taste and aroma, leaf antioxidant, oxidative pentose phosphate pathway (OPPP) and tea processing technology by using different combinations prepared with bacterial isolates will be able to a significant contribution to tea technology studies.