Dados do Trabalho

Título

USE OF A PGPB CONSORTIUM IMPROVES NITROGEN AND PHOSPHORUS NUTRITION AND PRODUCTIVITY OF THREE HORTICULTURAL CROPS

Resumo

Bacteria play an essential role in nitrogen and phosphorus biogeochemical cycles. In soil, these metabolic processes influence the dynamics and availability of nutrients for plants, thus impacting yield and quality. Here, we assessed whether a consortium based on plant growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB) optimizes N and P fertilization of three vegetable species: Lactuca sativa, Beta vulgaris var. cicla, and Brassica oleracea var. Capitata. For this, field experiments were carried out to evaluate the combined application of the consortium (Herbaspirillum sp. AP21, Azospirillum brasilense D7, and Rhizobium leguminosarum T88) and reduce doses of N and P fertilizers (0%, 25%, 50%, 75%, and 100% of N and P recommended fertilization). Both yield and leaf elemental composition were determined. For cabbage, consortium inoculation increased yield by 8.3 t ha-1, using 50% of the recommended N and P fertilizer rate, compared to the same fertilization treatment without inoculation. For chard, the lowest dose of fertilization (25%), including inoculation, increased yield by 10.2 t ha-1, compared to the same treatment without inoculation. For lettuce, there were not any yield differences when PGPB were inoculated. Inoculation with PGPB increased the yield of two out of three plant species evaluated. Additionally, a significant increase of 0.21% of N was noted in cabbage, contrasted to lettuce which did not show any significant difference. We conclude that the consortium inoculation is a sustainable fertilization alternative reducing the dependency of mineral sources of nutrients in agriculture improving the yield and nutrition of horticultural species.

Palavras-chave

Nitrogen; Phosphorus; Consortium; Cabbage; Chard; Lettuce

Instituição financiadora

“Gobernación de Nariño, Project: “Fortalecimiento de capacidades para la innovación en la agricultura campesina, familiar y comunitaria tendiente a mejorar los medios de vida de la población vulnerable frente a los impactos del COVID-19, en la subregión centro del departamento de Nariño” convenio N° 2050

Agradecimentos

Authors thanks to “Grupo Sistemas Agropecuarios Sostenibles – SAS” of the Agrosavia.