Class
Article
College
College of Agriculture and Applied Sciences
Department
Plants, Soils, and Climate Department
Faculty Mentor
Amita Kaundal
Presentation Type
Poster Presentation
Abstract
Increasing reliance on chemical fertilizers for farming is hazardous to soil health. It may alter the soil’s chemical composition with time and run, making it unfit for our crops. The rhizospheric bacteria associated with the hardy native plants could be important assets for sustainable farming and a substitute for chemical fertilizers. The Intermountain west region of the US possesses several native plant species adapted to its drier climatic condition. Among them is Ceanothus velutinus (Snowbrush), which is not only drought tolerant but also harbors nitrogen-fixing Frankia species. The study was conducted to evaluate the Plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) on the growth and development of Tall Fescue. The bacteria were isolated from the rhizosphere of Ceanothus velutinus (Snowbrush) plants propagated by cuttings in native soil. The four bacterial isolates named CK-6, CK-22, CK-44, and CK-50 were selected based on their performances in the growth and development of Arabidopsis. The bacteria inoculum was cultivated in LB broth at 28° C till high density, pelleted by centrifugation, and resuspended in 1/8th MS media maintaining the OD600 nm of 0.8-1.0. The seeds of Tall Fescue were surface sterilized with 70% ethanol and sodium hypochlorite (5% active chlorine), washed with sterile water 5-10 times, and germinated on wet Whatman filter papers in sealed petri plate wrapped in aluminum foil at 25° C in the growth chamber. After five-day, pre-germinated seeds were transferred to the field soil and sand mix pots. Two weeks after transferring, 5 ml of bacterial inoculum was poured on the seedlings. The bacterial inoculation was repeated after two weeks. The plants were irrigated every third day with 1/8th MS; the first harvesting was done 75 days after sowing, and data were recorded for the number of tillers, fresh weight, dry weight, and plant height. The results of our study indicated that all the bacterial isolates except CK44 showed a significant increase in tiller numbers compared to the control (P < 0.05); similarly, CK22 and CK6 showed a significant increase in fresh weight and dry weight as compared to the control (P < 0.05). However, the plant height was not significantly different among the treatments. The in vitro screening result indicates some bacterial isolates to be promising. Using these bacteria as biostimulants or biofertilizers could be a better option for restoring soil health and plant growth and development.
Location
Logan, UT
Start Date
4-12-2023 12:30 PM
End Date
4-12-2023 1:30 PM
Included in
Plant Growth Promoting Rhizobacteria (PGPR) From the Native Plant Ceanothus velutinus Promote Growth in Tall Fescue
Logan, UT
Increasing reliance on chemical fertilizers for farming is hazardous to soil health. It may alter the soil’s chemical composition with time and run, making it unfit for our crops. The rhizospheric bacteria associated with the hardy native plants could be important assets for sustainable farming and a substitute for chemical fertilizers. The Intermountain west region of the US possesses several native plant species adapted to its drier climatic condition. Among them is Ceanothus velutinus (Snowbrush), which is not only drought tolerant but also harbors nitrogen-fixing Frankia species. The study was conducted to evaluate the Plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) on the growth and development of Tall Fescue. The bacteria were isolated from the rhizosphere of Ceanothus velutinus (Snowbrush) plants propagated by cuttings in native soil. The four bacterial isolates named CK-6, CK-22, CK-44, and CK-50 were selected based on their performances in the growth and development of Arabidopsis. The bacteria inoculum was cultivated in LB broth at 28° C till high density, pelleted by centrifugation, and resuspended in 1/8th MS media maintaining the OD600 nm of 0.8-1.0. The seeds of Tall Fescue were surface sterilized with 70% ethanol and sodium hypochlorite (5% active chlorine), washed with sterile water 5-10 times, and germinated on wet Whatman filter papers in sealed petri plate wrapped in aluminum foil at 25° C in the growth chamber. After five-day, pre-germinated seeds were transferred to the field soil and sand mix pots. Two weeks after transferring, 5 ml of bacterial inoculum was poured on the seedlings. The bacterial inoculation was repeated after two weeks. The plants were irrigated every third day with 1/8th MS; the first harvesting was done 75 days after sowing, and data were recorded for the number of tillers, fresh weight, dry weight, and plant height. The results of our study indicated that all the bacterial isolates except CK44 showed a significant increase in tiller numbers compared to the control (P < 0.05); similarly, CK22 and CK6 showed a significant increase in fresh weight and dry weight as compared to the control (P < 0.05). However, the plant height was not significantly different among the treatments. The in vitro screening result indicates some bacterial isolates to be promising. Using these bacteria as biostimulants or biofertilizers could be a better option for restoring soil health and plant growth and development.