Growth Performance Of Maize Research Articles

Soil properties and nutrient uptake of maize (Zea mays) as influenced by mixed manure and blended inorganic fertilizer in Haramaya district, eastern Ethiopia

The deteriorating state of soil fertility and low agricultural productivity in Ethiopia can be traced to the lack of equivalent consideration given to the soil's biological, chemical, and physical properties. A pot experiment was conducted to investigate the effect of mixed manure and blended nitrogen, phosphorus, sulfur and boron (NPSB) fertilizer on phosphorus adsorption, and other properties of Vertisols, nutrient uptake, and growth performance of maize. The study findings indicate that the combined application of mixed manure and blended NPSB significantly reduced soil pH from 7.87 to 7.68, phosphorus adsorption efficiency from 93 to 88.5 %, and Freundlich adsorption capacity from 194 to 100.75 mg kg−1 , intensity from 1.96 to 1.27 compared to control. However, combined application of these two treatments significantly increased the organic carbon from 0.81 to 1.64 %, total nitrogen from 0.04 to 0.13 %, and available phosphorus from 6.96 to 73.82 g kg−1. The study further revealed that mixed manure and blended NPSB resulted in significantly (p ≤ 0.05) higher contents of nitrogen and phosphorus in the maize leaves as well as their uptake compared to their sole application and control. The highest values of these parameters were observed in plots treated with a combined application of 15 t ha−1 mixed manure with each rate of 100 and 150 kg ha−1 blended NPSB. Additionally, the maize plant height (p ≤ 0.05) and above-ground biomass (p ≤ 0.01) also exhibited significant increase. Compared to the control and full dose of NPSB, all the treatments that received a combined application of 15 t ha−1 mixed manure with blended NPSB ranging from 50 to 150 kg ha−1 resulted in significantly higher above-ground biomass of maize. The results suggest that the combined use of mixed manure and blended NPSB could be a practical and effective approach to improve soil properties and maize above-ground biomass yield.

Synthesis and Characterization of Chitosan Encapsulated Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles and its Application in Maize under Zinc Deficit Soil

Zinc deficiency is a growing concern among the global population, and it can be attributed to the depletion of significant portions of agricultural land and the production of foods that are low in zinc. In the current study, an efficiency-centric method of maize cultivation with zinc oxide nanoparticles encapsulated in chitosan (Cs-ZnO NPs) is proposed and evaluated. In order to investigate, NPs were chemically synthesized using process improvement for better size and shape and characterized using Scanning electron microscope (SEM), Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) and Transmission electron microscope (TEM). The NPs under characterization showed less than 100 nm diametric globular particles. A field experiment was conducted in randomized block design with six different treatments to study the impact of foliar applied Zn at various concentrations (50, 100, and 150 mg L-1) through Cs-ZnO NPs on plant growth, SPAD and grain yield in maize plant, with respect to foliar ZnSO4 @0.5 %, chitosan @150 mg L-1 and the control. The highest grain yield of 52.5 q ha-1 in maize was recorded with Zn supplied through Cs-ZnO NPs at 100 mg L-1, compare to other treatments. Similarly significant improvements in plant height and chlorophyll content were noted at 100 mg L-1 Zn through Cs-ZnO NPs. These results indicates that Cs-ZnO NPs can improve grain yield and plant growth performance of maize in a sustainable and efficiency centric manner.

Effect of integrated nutrient-pest management and planting geometry on the fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda), stem borer (Busseola fusca) and weed infestation of maize (Zea mays L.) in Cameroon

Maize productivity is frequently hampered as a result of poor soil fertility, insect pests, weed infestations and agronomic management in sub-Saharan Africa. The purpose of this study was to evaluate how integrated nutrient-pest management and planting geometry affected fall armyworm, stem borer, weed infestation, and maize growth performance. The experiment was laid out in a split-plot design with planting geometry as the main plot and nutrient-pest management strategies as subplots with three replications at Buea, Cameroon, from August to December 2022. Planting geometry significantly influenced weed infestation and maize growth performance but did not affect the incidence and severity of fall armyworm and stem borer. Planting one plant per stand at 25 cm intra-row spacing significantly reduced weed density by 11%, weed biomass by 14%, and increased maize ear formation by 5% as compared to planting two plants per stand at wider spacing. Chem + Org + Bio treatment significantly reduced maize grain damage incidence and severity by fall armyworm and stem borer by an average of 13% and 14%, respectively, as compared to chemical treatment alone. The use of an integrated Chem + Org + Bio nutrient-pest management strategy with planting one plant per stand at 25 cm intra-row spacing is the best and most effective method to reduce fall armyworm, stem borer, and weed infestation, reduce the consumption of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, and improve maize productivity in a sustainable way.

Efficacy of Organic Matter Briquette Combined with Nitrogen Fertilizer towards Maize (Zea mays L.) Growth on Coastal Sandy Soil

Application of organic briquettes has promising potency to optimize the efficacy of nitrogen fertilization for maize cultivation (Zea mays L.) under sub-optimal condition. This present study was aimed to select the type of organic briquette to be combined with N fertilizer as well as determine the ratio of the mixture to promote higher growth performance of maize on coastal sandy soil. This study was designated using completely randomized design (CRD) with 2 factors, namely doses of organic briquettes and doses of N fertilizer. As the control for the treatment, the non-briquette forms were also applied. Five replicates were prepared for each treatment. The results showed that organic briquettes application improved the efficacy of N fertilization. Specifically, briquette made from chicken manure significantly enhanced the maize growth on coastal sandy soil with the dose of 10 tons per hectare. This result was marked by the highest yield, namely corn cobs per plant (159.82 g).

Biochar of Prosopis juliflora for Improving Crops Germination and Growth on Sandy–Loam Soil

Prosopis juliflora (Sw.) DC. is an invasive alien species (IAS) damaging agricultural and natural ecosystems that threat biodiversity in Ethiopia. This IAS can be managed by utilizing it as a resource in agricultural production. This study analyzed the role of P. juliflora biochar on germination and growth performance of maize and wheat under field conditions in Wollo, Ethiopia. A randomized complete block design (RCBD) was used to test the effect of biochar on sandy–loam soil with and without fertilizer. In this experiment, biochar from P. juliflora was applied on the above two crops at 5, 10, and 20 t/ha with and without N–P fertilizers. From the result, a 100% germination and high growth of test crops were observed from 10 t/ha biochar with fertilizer mixed treatments. The shoot dry weight of both maize and wheat showed significant differences among treatments. While a single dosage (10 t/ha) increased maize dry weight by 21% without fertilizer, but it reduced dry weight by 10% when used with fertilizer. In the case of wheat, single and double dose biochar with NPS treatments increased shoot dry weight by 22.2% and 30%, respectively. This showed that application of biochar up to 20 t/ha in combination with fertilizers can significantly improve crop growth. Thus, it can be concluded that the application of biochar of P. juliflora is a good soil amendment option and, thus, this IAS can be managed by utilization.

Unveiling the maize-benefit: Synergistic impacts of organic-inorganic fertilizer cooperation on rhizosphere microorganisms and metabolites

Maize, an indispensable staple crop, plays a vital role in ensuring human food security. To shed light on the effects of different fertilizer management modes on maize growth, as well as rhizosphere bacterial populations and metabolites, we employed high-throughput sequencing and non-targeted metabolomics technology. Experimental treatments comprised: CK (no fertilizer), CF (single chemical fertilizer, N-P2O5-K2O), OF30 (30 % organic fertilizer replacement), OF70 (70 % organic fertilizer replacement), and OF100 (100 % organic fertilizer, animal manure and humic acid as raw materials). Compared to the single chemical fertilizer, the dual fertilizer management resulted in a more stable bacterial network and a more complex metabolic system. Notably, under OF70 conditions, the rhizosphere soil exhibited greater prevalence of functional bacteria like Paenibacillus and Pseudoxanthomonas. This stimulation significantly activated biosynthesis processes like unsaturated fatty acids, plant hormone synthesis, and plant secondary metabolite production. Through correlation mining of differential metabolites and differential bacteria, as well as weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA), we revealed a consistent correlation trend between bacterial population abundance and changes in metabolite content under dual fertilization. The dual fertilizer approach established a more intricate regulatory relationship between plants, bacteria and metabolites, indicative of a more stable rhizosphere environment. Importantly, our findings on the superior growth performance of maize under OF70 conditions, coupled with microecological changes in the rhizosphere (bacteria and metabolites), provide valuable insights for advancing efficient maize cultivation and informing scientifically sound fertilizer management practices. Moreover, these results hold relevance for production considerations in other agricultural crops. However, it is crucial to further explore the generalizability of these findings in field conditions.

Growth performance of maize (Zea Mays) in the initial stage under shallow water conditions to determine the best planting season in lowland area

Maize crop is one of the agricultural commodity crops that have an important role in the agricultural sector because corn plants are needed in the supply of food, feed, livestock and other industrial needs. The condition of corn plants with high rainfall can result in the risk of flooding of corn plants, if the corn plants are always flooded continuously it will result in a decrease in corn production. Stagnant water is an abiotic stress that must be considered because it can result in an increase in H2O and a decrease in O2 in stagnant plants. Stagnant water or excessive water stress can result in decreased plant development and decreased production. The aim of the research was to look at the growth conditions of maize plants at various high groundwater levels. The best expansion was achieved in treatment P5 (groundwater table 30 cm from the soil surface) that is 212.67 cm and the lowest results were in treatment P2 (groundwater table 5 cm from the soil surface) with a plant height of 61.50 cm

Potential of growth-promoting bacteria in maize (Zea mays L.) varies according to soil moisture

Climate change has caused irregularities in water distribution, which affect the soil drying-wetting cycle and the development of economically important agricultural crops. Therefore, the use of plant growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB) emerges as an efficient strategy to mitigate negative impacts on crop yield. We hypothesized that the use of PGPB (in consortium or not) had potential to promote maize (Zea mays L.) growth under a soil moisture gradient in both non-sterile and sterile soils. Thirty PGPB strains were characterized for direct plant growth-promotion and drought tolerance induction mechanisms and were used in two independent experiments. Four soil water contents were used to simulate a severe drought (30% of field capacity [FC]), moderate drought (50% of FC), no drought (80% of FC) and, finally, a water gradient comprising the three mentioned soil water contents (80%, 50%, and 30% of FC). Two bacteria strains (BS28–7 Arthrobacter sp. and BS43 Streptomyces alboflavus), in addition to three consortia (BC2, BC4 and BCV) stood out in maize growth performance in experiment 1 and were used in experiment 2. Overall, under moderate drought, inoculation with BS43 surpassed the control treatment in root dry mass and nutrient uptake. Considering the water gradient treatment (80–50–30% of FC), the greatest total biomass was found in the uninoculated treatment when compared to BS28–7, BC2, and BCV. The greatest development of Z. mays L. was only observed under constant water stress conditions in the presence of PGPB. This is the first report that demonstrated the negative effect of individual inoculation of Arthrobacter sp. and the consortium of this strain with Streptomyces alboflavus on the growth of Z. mays L. based on a soil moisture gradient; however, future studies are needed for further validation.

Elevated CO2 and temperature increase arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal diversity, but decrease root colonization, in maize and wheat

Anthropogenic climate change threatens ecosystem multifunctionality. Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi are important symbionts that participate in mediating many ecosystem processes, and thus being potentially essential link in the chain of responses to climate change. Yet, how climate change affect the abundance and community structure of AM fungi associated with different crops remains elusive. Here, we investigated the changes in rhizosphere AM fungal communities and growth performance of maize and wheat grown in Mollisols under experimentally elevated CO2 (eCO2, +300 ppm), temperature (eT, +2 °C) and both in-combination (eCT) with open-top chambers, representing a scenario likely to occur by this century's end. The results showed that eCT significantly shifted AM fungal communities in both rhizospheres compared with control, but with no remarkable variation of the overall communities in maize rhizosphere, suggesting their greater resistance to climate change. Both eCO2 and eT increased rhizosphere AM fungal diversity, and conversely they reduced mycorrhizal colonization of both crops, probably since AM fungi had distinct adaptive strategies to climate change in rhizospheres (i.e., r-strategy) and roots (K-strategy), while the colonization intensity positively correlated with a decreased phosphorus (P)-uptake in two crops. Furthermore, co-occurrence network analysis showed that eCO2 strongly decreased the modularity and betweenness centrality of network structure than that of eT and eCT in both rhizospheres, along with the reduced network robustness, implied their destabilized communities under eCO2, while root stoichiometry (C:N and C:P ratio) was the most important factor associating with taxa in networks regardless of climate change. Overall, those findings suggest that rhizosphere AM fungal communities in wheat appear to be more sensitive to climate change than that in maize, further highlighting the importance of effective monitoring and managing AM fungi, which may allow crops to maintain critical levels of mineral nutrients (at least P) under future global change.

Agronomic performances of biodegradable and non-biodegradable plastic film mulching on a maize cropping system in the semi-arid Loess Plateau, China

Biodegradable plastic film mulch (PFM) is considered an alternative to non-biodegradable PFM to mitigate the negative impacts of residual film. However, the agronomic performance of biodegradable PFM in comparison to non-biodegradable PFM still needs to be tested. In this study, we evaluated the effects of biodegradable and non-biodegradable PFM on soil physicochemical properties, microbial community, and enzyme activities, as well as maize growth performance. Biodegradable and non-biodegradable PFM both increased soil temperature, water content, N content, and microbial biomass and maize yield by up to 30%, but decreased soil enzyme activities as compared to no mulching (control, CK). Most soil physicochemical properties, microbial community, and enzyme activities were similar under non-biodegradable and biodegradable PFM at the early stages of maize growth. However, at the late stages, soil temperature, water content, mineral N, NO3--N, ammonia monooxygenase (AMO) activity, and total phospholipid fatty acids (PLFAs) decreased under biodegradable PFM owing to film fragmentation. White PFM increased soil temperature, water content, and total PLFAs at the early stages of maize growth but decreased soil mineral N and total PLFAs at the late stages, as compared to black PFM. As soil temperature and N availability were the major factors affecting soil microbial community, microbial activity decreased after the fragmentation of biodegradable PFM, owing to the decreased soil temperature, water content, and mineral N. Notably, biodegradable PFM could decrease NO3--N accumulation in topsoil by decreasing N transformation due to the lower microbial and N-related enzyme (e.g., AMO) activities, compared with non-biodegradable PFM, which may avoid negative environmental impacts, such as NO3--N leaching or gas emission after harvest. Maize yield, height, aboveground biomass, and N uptake under biodegradable PFM were similar to those under non-biodegradable PFM during maize growth, implying that biodegradable PFM has no negative impact on crop growth and yield. In general, biodegradable PFM was equivalent to non-biodegradable PFM in terms of maize yield increase and N uptake, but was environmentally friendly. Therefore, biodegradable PFM can be used as an alternative to non-biodegradable PFM in semi-arid areas for sustainable agricultural practices.

Biochemical Characterization of Partially Stabilized Parthenium hysterophorus L. and Cow Dung Consortium and Its Effect on the Growth Performance of Maize (Zea mays L.)

Parthenium (Parthenium hysterophorus L.) is a major anxious weed found in pastures, wastelands, and agricultural lands. It usually competes very well and reduces crop yield. Up-rooting and herbicides have long been used as management options for weeds. However, these methods are neither economically nor environmentally sound. Another approach is to make compost of it, transforming a problem into an opportunity. Four treatments viz. Parthenium (100%) and Parthenium to cow dung ratio (75 : 25, 50 : 50, 25 : 75 w/w) were partially stabilized for 60 days under aerated conditions. The physical and chemical characteristics of partially stabilized organic materials were analyzed and the effects of the partially stabilized organic materials on the germination and growth performance of maize (Zea mays L.) were assessed. The results revealed that pH, EC, OC, OM, TN, P availability, and C/N were not significantly different; this showed an insignificant difference ( P > 0.05) among the treatments. However, particle densities, P availability, EC, OC, and TN were found to be higher in 75 : 25 Parthenium cow dung ratios than in 25 : 75 ratios. Root length, shoot length, and germination index were significantly different among the treatments ( P ≤ 0.05). The seed germination index of maize was the highest (113%) in 75 : 25 ratios of Parthenium and cow dung followed by 50 : 50 ratios (95%) and 25 : 75 ratios (86%); relatively, low germination indices (84.86%) were recorded from partially stabilized organic materials prepared from Parthenium alone. The findings revealed that partially stabilized Parthenium mixed with cow dung could be promising for organic farming and an option for weed management.

Bacillus atrophaeus WZYH01 and Planococcus soli WZYH02 Improve Salt Tolerance of Maize (Zea mays L.) in Saline Soil.

With the increasing shortage of land resources and people’s attention to the ecological environment, the application of microbial fertilizer with natural soil microorganisms as the main component has attracted increasing attention in saline agriculture. In this study, two salt-tolerant strains, YL07 (Bacillus atrophaeus) and YL10 (Planococcus soli), were isolated from maize (Zea mays L.) rhizosphere soil with a saturated conductivity (ECe) of 6.13 dS/m and pH of 8.32 (Xinjiang, China). The effects of B. atrophaeus WZYH01 (YL07) and Planococcus soli WZYH02 (YL10) on the growth and development of maize (Zea mays L.) under salt stress (ECe = 5.9 dS/m) were further studied. The results showed that compared with uninoculation, inoculation with B. atrophaeus WZYH01 and Planococcus soli WZYH02 significantly improved maize growth performance, biomass yield, and antioxidant levels under salt stress, and the effect of Planococcus soli WZYH02 was more prominent than the effect of B. atrophaeus WZYH01. Moreover, inoculation with B. atrophaeus WZYH01 and Planococcus soli WZYH02 protected maize from salt stress by regulating plant hormone [IAA and abscisic acid (ABA)] levels and increasing nutrient acquisition. In addition, the tested strains were most efficient for maize growth and health, increasing the content of K+ accompanied by an effective decrease in Na+ in maize tissues. The transcription levels of salt tolerance genes (ZMNHX1, ZMNHX2, ZMHKT, ZMWRKY58, and ZMDREB2A) in inoculated maize were also dramatically higher than the transcription levels of the specified salt tolerance genes in uninoculated maize. In conclusion, B. atrophaeus WZYH01 and Planococcus soli WZYH02 can alleviate the harmful effects of salt stress on crop growth, thereby promoting sustainable agricultural development.

Effect of Consecutive Application of Phosphorus-Enriched Biochar with Different Levels of P on Growth Performance of Maize for Two Successive Growing Seasons

Sustainable management of phosphorus (P) is one of the burning issues in agriculture because the reported P losses, when applied in the form of mineral fertilizer, give rise to another issue of water pollution as P is considered one of the limiting nutrients for eutrophication and so results in costly water treatments. In the present study, the enrichment of biochar with mineral P fertilizer was supposed to reduce such losses from the soil. Additionally, P can also be recycled through this technique at the same time as biochar is derived from biomass. Biochar was prepared using wheat straw followed by its enrichment with di-ammonium phosphate (DAP) at the ratio of 1:1 on a w/w basis. The first pot trial for spring maize (cv. Neelam) was conducted using phosphorus-enriched biochar (PEB) at 0% and 1% with different levels of recommended P (0%, 25%, 50%, and 100%). The treatments were arranged factorially under a complete randomized design (CRD) with three replications. After harvesting the spring maize, pots were kept undisturbed, and a second pot trial was conducted for autumn maize in the same pots to assess the residual impact of 1% PEB. In the second pot trial, only inorganic P was applied to respective treatments because the pots contained 1% PEB supplied to spring maize. The results revealed that the application of 1% PEB at P level 50% significantly increased all the recorded plant traits (growth, yield, and physiological and chemical parameters) and some selected properties of post-harvest soil (available P, organic matter, and EC) but not soil pH. In terms of yield, 1% PEB at 50% P significantly increased both the number of grains and 100-grain weight by around 30% and 21% in spring and autumn maize, respectively, as compared to 100% P without PEB. It is therefore recommended that P-enriched biochar should be used to reduce the inorganic P fertilizer inputs; however, its application under field conditions should be assessed in future research.

Foliar Application of Cytokinin Modulates Gas Exchange Features, Water Relation and Biochemical Responses to Improve Growth Performance of Maize under Drought Stress

Improvement of plant performance under drought stress is crucial to sustaining agricultural productivity. The current study investigated the ameliorative effects of foliar-applied kinetin, an adenine-type cytokinin (CK), on growth and gas exchange parameters, water relations and biochemical attributes of maize plants under drought stress. Eighteen-day-old maize plants were subjected to drought by maintaining soil moisture content at 25% field capacity for 8 days followed by foliar application of kinetin at 0, 75, 150 and 225 mg L−1 (CK0, CK75, CK150 and CK225, respectively) to the plants for two-times at the 9-day interval. Results revealed that drought stress markedly reduced stem diameter, dry weight, chlorophyll content, gas exchange parameters and water balance but increased proline, malondialdehyde and soluble sugar contents, electrolyte leakage and senescence in maize leaves. Application of exogenous CK remarkably improved maize performance by modulating growth, gas exchange- and water relation-related parameters in a dose-dependent manner under drought stress. CK225 increased chlorophyll content (by 61.54%), relative water content (by 49.14%), net photosynthesis rate (by 39.94%) and transpiration rate (by 121.36%) and also delayed leaf senescence but decreased internal CO2 concentration (by 7.38%), water saturation deficit (by 40.40%) and water uptake capacity (by 42.49%) in both well-watered and drought-stressed plants. Nevertheless, CK application considerably decreased electrolyte leakage, proline, malondialdehyde and soluble sugar levels in drought-stressed maize plants, as also supported by heatmap and cluster analyses. Taken together, exogenous CK at proper concentration (225 mg L−1) successfully improved maize performance under drought conditions, thereby suggesting CK application as a useful approach to alleviate drought-induced adverse effects in maize plants, and perhaps in other important crop plants.

Effects of organic manures bioremediation on growth performance of Maize ( Zea mays L.) in crude oil polluted soil

Purpose Crude oil pollution adversely affects the environment and its remediation presents significant challenge due to its complex nature. Bioremediation approaches have proved effective and the use of organic wastes makes the process eco-friendly. Therefore, this study investigated the effects of organic manures amendments of crude oil polluted soil on the growth and performance of maize (Zea mays L.) under potted environment at the botanic garden of University of Port-Harcourt, Nigeria.Method The loamy soils in different pots (5.0 kg each) were polluted with crude oil in six factorial treatments set (0.0%, 2.0%, 4.0%, 6.0%, 8.0% and 10.0%) and allowed for two weeks. Thereafter, the polluted soils were subjected to different organic manure amendment: poultry-manure, cow-dung, saw-dust, combined poultry-manure + cow-dung, combined poultry-manure + saw-dust and combined cow-dung + saw-dust manures with two sets of control: polluted soil + no organic manure and non-polluted soil + no organic manure. The amended soils were allowed for two weeks before sowing viable maize seeds and the seedling monitored every two weeks after germination for a period of eight weeks.Results Crude oil pollution impaired the maize seed germination, growth and development. Organic manures amendments of polluted-soil significantly improved (P < 0.05) maize plant agronomic characteristics with combined manures especially poultry-manure + cow-dung showing highest improvement than other combined or single manure treatment.Conclusion Combined organic manures amendments of crude oil polluted soil especially cow-dung + saw-dust were found to be environmentally friendly and beneficial for maize crop production.

ALLELOPATHIC EFFECT OF Moringa oleifera LEAF EXTRACT ON GROWTH OF MAIZE (Zea mays)

Moringa (Moringa oleifera) is regarded as one of the world's most useful trees, with nearly every aspect of the tree having a significant impact on food, medicine, and industry. Vitamin A and C, iron, calcium, riboflavin, b-carotene, and phenolics are all useful choices in moringa leaves. Moringa is gaining a lot of interest these days since its leaves include cytokinin, antioxidants, macro and micronutrients. Moringa leaf extract is a low-cost, eco sustainable organic technology that boosts the growth of most vegetable crops, such as maize, cabbage, and tomato, as well as field crops like rape and common beans. Moringa extract of leaves can be used by farmers as a biofertilizers. Because the extract contains zeatin, a purine adenine derivative of the plant hormone group cytokinin, the impact of moringa leaf extract is similar to that of synthetic hormones. The experiment was comprised of eight treatments. The experiment was laid out in a (CRD) with 3 replications. Application of moringa extract sprayed at every 2 weeks after emergence up to tasseling (with seed priming) significantly increased growth components like number of leaves, plant height, grain weight plant-1, fresh weight of root and shoot, significantly increased as compared to other treatments. The highest plant height (301.44cm) were obtained from T4 while the lowest plant height (231.11cm), were found in the treatments where no moringa leaf extract was used (T0 andT1). From the results it can be concluded that moringa leaf extract can be applied for better growth performance of maize. The length and diameter of cobs, as well as the number of leaves, root length, and shoot length were considerably changed by different treatments, although the length and diameter of cobs and the number of grains cob-1 remained significantly unaffected.

Effects of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi on Maize Growth, Root Colonization, and Root Exudates Varied with Inoculum and Application Method

The use of arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi is considered as an effective approach to enhance plants’ growth; nevertheless, its efficacy may vary with the type of inoculum and its application method. The present study, for the first time, investigates the effects of different mycorrhizal species applied through different methods on morpho-physiological growth, root system architecture, nutrient uptake, and root exudates of maize. Four AM fungi species viz., Claroideoglomus etunicatum (C.E), Rhizophagus intraradices (R.I), Funneliformis mosseae (F.M), and Diversispora versiformis (D.V) were applied to maize through seed coating, soil application, or seed coating+ soil application. A control without AM fungi was maintained for comparison. All the thirteen treatments were arranged in completely randomized design with three replications. Application of C.E, R.I, F.M, and D.V through different methods triggered the growth performance of maize by improving morpho-physiological characteristics and root morphology, modulating AM fungi colonization, enhancing the nutrient (N, P, K) uptake, and reducing the root exudates (oxalic, malonic, fumaric, malic, citric, and T-aconitic) compared with control. Among the different mycorrhizal species, F.M applied particularly through seed coating+ soil application was more effective in regulating maize growth as compared with C.E, R.I, or D.V species owing to better root system, higher root colonization, and greater nutrient uptake in this treatment. Interestingly, seed coating of F.M recorded statistically similar or higher shoot and root growth attributes compared with soil application particularly at 30 days after sowing. In crux, F.M applied through seed coating + soil application performed better than that of other mycorrhizal species. The obtained results also suggest that seed coating can be a cheap, viable, and efficient delivery system of AM fungi particularly for large scale application, as AM fungi seed coating had faster and greater effect on maize growth compared with soil application during early growth stages.

Influence of Organic Amendments on Soil Fertility and the Growth of Maize (Zea Mays)

In recent years, the application of poultry manure and compost as a soil amendment has generated huge interest for the preservation of soil fertility by improving the physicochemical and biological properties of soil, and for the reduction of the negative effects of greenhouse emissions. In this study, we investigated the effect of two soil amendments, namely poultry manure and compost, on soil parameters and their influence on maize growth performance. The experiment was conducted at the nursery site at the University of Energy and Natural Resources where organic amendments were applied to the soil at different application rate compost (10 t/ha and 5 t/h) and poultry (10 t/ha and 5 t/h, respectively). The results show that organic amendments increased the NPK content of the soil. Plant growth parameters are also increased by the application of the organic amendment. There was no significant improvement in plant height, plant girth, and the number of leaves with the application of both poultry manure and compost. However, biomass yield and leaf area of plants significantly increased in soils amended with poultry manure and compost. Poultry manure was found to contain higher nutrients and contributed to higher maize growth than compost and the control. This study showed that organic amendments increased soil fertility and crop growth.

Altered bacteria community dominance reduces tolerance to resident fungus and seed to seedling growth performance in maize (Zea mays L. var. DKB 177)

Seeds are reservoirs of beneficial and harmful microorganism that modulates plant growth and health. Here, we access seed to seedling bacteriome assembly modified by seed-disinfection and the underlined effect over maize germination performance and root-seedlings microbial colonization. Seed-disinfection was performed with sodium hypochlorite (1.25 %, 30 min), resulting in a reduction of the cultivable-dependent fraction of seed-borne bacteria population, but not significantly detected by real-time PCR, microscopy, and biochemical analysis of the roots on germinated seeds. 16S rRNA sequencing revealed that bacteriome of non-germinated seeds and roots of 5-d germinated seeds exhibited similar diversity and did not differ in the structure concerning seed-disinfection. On the other hand, the relative abundance reduction of the genera f_Enterobacteriaceae_922761 (unassigned genus), Azospirillum, and Acinetobacter in disinfected-seed prior germination seems to display changes in prominence of several new taxa in the roots of germinated seeds. Interestingly, this bacteriome community rebuilt negatively affected the germination speed and growth of maize plantlets. Additionally, bacteriome re-shape increased the maize var. DKB 177 susceptible to the seed-borne plant pathogen Penicillium sp. Such changes in the natural seed-borne composition removed the natural barrier, increasing susceptibility to pathogens, impairing disinfected seeds to germinate, and develop. We conclude that bacteria borne in seeds modulate the relative abundance of taxa colonizing emerged roots, promote germination, seedling growth, and protect the maize against fungal pathogens.

Effects of two rhizobacteria inoculants on maize growth performance at different concentrations of glyphosate

The use of Rhizobacteria as biofertilizer is on the increase due to the ability of some of the bacteria to solubilize some insoluble essential nutrients in the soil and produce phytohormones necessary for plant growth. The effectiveness of two plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (Bacillus cereus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa) in plant growth promotion at different concentrations of glyphosate were evaluated. Some agronomic parameters such as plant height, size of girth, number of leaves on the screen house and field were measured and recorded. The results of the effects of P. aeruginosa on the height of maize at different concentrations showed that the plants inoculated with the isolates and planted on the soil without glyphosate (control) recorded the highest height on the 2nd (34.9 cm), 4th (52.45 cm), 6th (61.17 cm) and 8th (66.25 cm) weeks after planting, when compared to those planted on the soil spiked with different concentrations of glyphosate. The effects of the isolates on the size of girth of maize on the soil spiked with different concentrations of glyphosate showed the highest girth size on the soil inoculated with P. aeruginosa eight weeks after planting (8 WAP) with a girth size of 2.0cm and least at 14.4 mg/ml of glyphosate with a girth size of 1.2 cm at 8 weeks after planting. Similar trend was observed on the soil inoculated with B. cereus (without glyphosate) with the highest girth in the 2nd and 4th WAP (1.02 and 1.42 cm, respectively). The results of our field studies showed no significant difference (P≤0.05) in the height and number of leaves of the maize at different treatments and time (weeks after planting). Similar trend was observed i n the yield of maize. This study has shown that these isolates can be useful as biofertilizers especially in the absence or at low concentration of glyphosate.&#x0D; Keywords: Rhizobacteria, maize, Inoculants, Plant-growth-promotion.