Use of Bio-Fertilizers to Improve Crop Quality and Yield

A special issue of Agronomy (ISSN 2073-4395). This special issue belongs to the section "Soil and Plant Nutrition".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 October 2022) | Viewed by 36761

Special Issue Editors

Department of Sciences and Technological Innovation, University of Piemonte Orientale, viale T. Michel, 11-15121 Alessandria, Italy
Interests: soil microbial ecology; rhizosphere; plant–microbe interactions; PGPB
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Council for Agricultural Research and Agricultural, Economy Analysis (CREA), Research Centre for Forestry and Wood (FL), 15033 Casale Monferrato, Italy
Interests: plant physiology; water relations; wood; poplar
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Department of Sciences and Technological Innovation, University of Piemonte Orientale, viale T. Michel, 11-15121 Alessandria, Italy
Interests: mycorrhizal fungi; phytoremediation; symbiosis;;biodiversity; metagenome
Department of Sciences and Technological Innovation, University of Piemonte Orientale, viale T. Michel, 11-15121 Alessandria, Italy
Interests: PGPB; plant microbiota; metagenome; metaproteome
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The Population Division of the United Nations estimates that by 2050 the world’s population will reach 9.1 billion, approximately one third higher than today. Climate change, together with intensive agriculture will also continue to increase the intensity and spreading of biotic and abiotic stresses. As a consequence, global food demand will eventually surpass the availability of food resources especially in developing countries where the population increase is the greatest.

In this context, the use of beneficial plant microorganisms, such as plant growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB), and endophytic and mycorrhizal fungi is an attractive technology to address these problems. In the past two decades, our knowledge of the mechanisms employed by beneficial microorganisms in plant growth promotion has increased. However, there is still a strong need for a better understanding of the practical use of these biofertilizers.

This Special Issue will address studies (including, e.g., original research, research perspectives, mini reviews, commentaries, and opinion papers) that focus on the following:

(i) Strategies to select unique biofertilizers;

(ii) Identification of new plant beneficial microorganisms;

(iii) Definition of the effects of microorganisms on plants grown in field conditions, and identification of the factors limiting their beneficial impact or survival in the environment;

(iv) Characterization of the changes induced by the introduction of these new isolates on the resident microbiota;

(v) Formulation of efficient commercial biofertilizers (both as individual strains or as a consortium of isolates combining different beneficial physiological traits) that can meet the farmer's expectations.

Dr. Elisa Gamalero
Dr. Simone Cantamessa
Dr. Patrizia Cesaro
Dr. Giorgia Novello
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • plant inoculants
  • PGPB
  • bacterial and fungal endophyte
  • mycorrhizal fungi
  • commercial formulation of biofertilizers

Published Papers (11 papers)

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Research

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16 pages, 3832 KiB  
Article
Microbial Consortium Inoculum with Rock Minerals Increased Wheat Grain Yield, Nitrogen-Use Efficiency, and Protein Yield Due to Larger Root Growth and Architecture
by Kinley Tshering, Zed Rengel, Paul Storer and Zakaria M. Solaiman
Agronomy 2022, 12(10), 2481; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy12102481 - 12 Oct 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1100
Abstract
Polymer-coated rock mineral fertiliser (RMF) has the potential to increase wheat growth and yield; however, its effect on grain protein concentration (GPC) and nitrogen-use efficiency (NUE) remains unclear. Therefore, we examined the efficacy of slow-release RMF combined with microbial consortium inoculant (MI) compared [...] Read more.
Polymer-coated rock mineral fertiliser (RMF) has the potential to increase wheat growth and yield; however, its effect on grain protein concentration (GPC) and nitrogen-use efficiency (NUE) remains unclear. Therefore, we examined the efficacy of slow-release RMF combined with microbial consortium inoculant (MI) compared with inorganic fertiliser (IF) with or without the MI to explore their effects on wheat growth, NUE, GPC, grain protein yield and grain yield. The glasshouse experiment was conducted with three factors (fertiliser type (control, RMF and IF), fertiliser rate (0, 23 and 46 mg N kg−1 soil), and MI (with or without)) replicated four times and harvested twice (anthesis and maturity). The treatments were arranged in a randomised complete block design. NUE was higher in plants treated with RMF plus MI compared to IF (with or without MI), likely due to extensive root system, higher shoot N content (at anthesis and maturity) and grain N content in plants treated with RMF plus MI than IF. The application of RMF enhanced grain yield and GPC compared with IF. The grain yield increased due to more grains in RMF-treated than IF-treated plants. The RMF application increased N content in shoots at anthesis and maturity and grain N content, which increased GPC compared to IF-treated plants. RMF in combination with MI can be viewed as a practical approach to assist RMF in supplying nutrients to improve NUE, grain yield and GPC in wheat. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Use of Bio-Fertilizers to Improve Crop Quality and Yield)
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20 pages, 2514 KiB  
Article
Biofertilizer with Bacillus pumilus TUAT1 Spores Improves Growth, Productivity, and Lodging Resistance in Forage Rice
by Shin-ichiro Agake, Yoshinari Ohwaki, Katsuhiro Kojima, Emon Yoshikawa, Maria Daniela Artigas Ramirez, Sonoko Dorothea Bellingrath-Kimura, Tetsuya Yamada, Taiichiro Ookawa, Naoko Ohkama-Ohtsu and Tadashi Yokoyama
Agronomy 2022, 12(10), 2325; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy12102325 - 27 Sep 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2317
Abstract
Bacillus pumilus strain TUAT1 is a plant growth-promoting bacterium (PGPB) applied as a biofertilizer, containing its spores, for rice. In this study, we analyzed the short-term effects of biofertilization on plant growth in the nursery and long-term effects on plant vegetative growth, yield, [...] Read more.
Bacillus pumilus strain TUAT1 is a plant growth-promoting bacterium (PGPB) applied as a biofertilizer, containing its spores, for rice. In this study, we analyzed the short-term effects of biofertilization on plant growth in the nursery and long-term effects on plant vegetative growth, yield, and lodging resistance in paddy fields using animal feed rice (‘Fukuhibiki’ and line LTAT-29 which was recently officially registered as a cultivar ‘Monster Nokodai 1′) and fodder rice (line TAT-26). The effects of the biofertilization were analyzed under two nitrogen treatments and at two transplanting distances in the field. The application of 107 colony forming units (CFU) mL−1 bacterial spore solution to seeds on plant box significantly improved the initial growth of rice. The biofertilizer treatment with this strain at 107 CFU g−1 onto seeds in nursery boxes increased the nitrogen uptake at the early growth of rice in the field, resulting in higher growth at the late vegetative growth stage (e.g., tiller number and plant height). Furthermore, the improvement of growth led to increases of not only yield components such as the total panicle number (TPN) and the number of spikelets in a panicle (NSP) in LTAT-29 but also the straw yield and quality of TAT-26. The lodging resistances of these forage rice plants were also improved due to the increased root development and photosynthesis creating tougher culms. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Use of Bio-Fertilizers to Improve Crop Quality and Yield)
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12 pages, 1278 KiB  
Article
Meta-Analysis of the Response of the Productivity of Different Crops to Parameters and Processes in Soil Nitrogen Cycle under Biochar Addition
by Leiyi Zhang, Zhuohao Wu, Jingyan Zhou, Lingli Zhou, Yang Lu, Yangzhou Xiang, Renduo Zhang, Qi Deng and Wencheng Wu
Agronomy 2022, 12(8), 1857; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy12081857 - 05 Aug 2022
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 1784
Abstract
Biochar addition has been proposed to influence soil nitrogen (N) cycle and improve crop productivity. However, a comprehensive understanding of the impact of soil N cycle on the productivity of different crops under biochar addition remains elusive. Thus, a meta-analysis of 93 peer-reviewed [...] Read more.
Biochar addition has been proposed to influence soil nitrogen (N) cycle and improve crop productivity. However, a comprehensive understanding of the impact of soil N cycle on the productivity of different crops under biochar addition remains elusive. Thus, a meta-analysis of 93 peer-reviewed field experiments was undertaken to investigate these outcomes of biochar addition. Results show that biochar addition significantly enhances crop productivity by 13.0%. The productivities of legumes, maize, and wheat were significantly increased by 21.2%, 14.3%, and 8.00% following biochar addition in the fields, respectively. However, the improvement in rice productivity is the lowest (3.36%), insignificant following biochar addition. The aggregated boosted tree, and partial least squares path analyses, indicated that the changes in the soil N pool (i.e., TN, NO3-N, and NH4+-N) and plant N uptake were the most critical factors in increasing crop productivity under biochar addition. Although biochar addition had no significant enhancement on rice productivity, enhancing field rice nitrogen uptake and modest application of nitrogen fertilizers greatly improved rice productivity. The amount of soil NH4+-N was vital to improving legume productivity rather than biological N2 fixation when biochar was applied. Increases in NH4+-N content and decreasing NO3-N content were favorable to improving maize productivity under biochar addition. In contrast, biochar additions did not significantly regulate the parameters and processes of soil N cycle to enhance wheat productivity. Overall, the productivity of different types of crops is greatly influenced by soil N cycle under biochar addition. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Use of Bio-Fertilizers to Improve Crop Quality and Yield)
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13 pages, 289 KiB  
Article
The Effect of Foliar Spray Treatments with Various Biostimulants and Fertilisers on the Growth of M.9 Rootstock Stoolings
by Sławomir Świerczyński and Maciej Bosiacki
Agronomy 2022, 12(3), 689; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy12030689 - 12 Mar 2022
Viewed by 2106
Abstract
An experiment was conducted to compare the effect of applying half a dose of a mineral fertiliser combined with a foliar treatment with four biostimulants and two fertilisers in relation to a full dose of a mineral fertiliser. The M.9 rootstock stoolings were [...] Read more.
An experiment was conducted to compare the effect of applying half a dose of a mineral fertiliser combined with a foliar treatment with four biostimulants and two fertilisers in relation to a full dose of a mineral fertiliser. The M.9 rootstock stoolings were sprayed four times during their growth. Each year of the experiment, the height, the diameter, the fresh weight of leaves and the leaf surface area of all stoolings were measured. The efficiency of rootstocks from one mother plant was assessed. Some parameters of physiological processes as well as the content of micro- and macronutrients in the leaves were also assessed. The research results showed that the reduced dose of the mineral fertiliser with foliar treatment did not significantly decrease the growth parameters of the M.9 rootstock stoolings. Some foliar treatments, especially Bioamino Plant and Bispeed, resulted in higher fresh weight and larger leaf area of the stoolings. The treatment with the Bioamino Plant biostimulant and two foliar fertilisers resulted in parameters of the physiological processes of stoolings that were the same as or better than those in the control plants. After the foliar application of two fertilisers, the content of macronutrients in the leaves of the stoolings was usually the same as in the control. The treatment with the biostimulants resulted in a lower content of most macronutrients in the plants (N, K and Ca). The only exception was the higher magnesium content than in the control after the treatment with all biostimulants and the same phosphorus content after the treatment with most of the biostimulants. The Aminoplant and Bispeed biostimulants increased the accumulation of iron in the leaves, whereas the Basfoliar 6-12-6 fertiliser resulted in higher zinc and copper content than in the control plants. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Use of Bio-Fertilizers to Improve Crop Quality and Yield)
13 pages, 300 KiB  
Article
The Effect of Mycorrhizal Fungi and Organic Fertilizers on Quantitative and Qualitative Traits of Two Important Satureja Species
by Asma Bastami, Reza Amirnia, R. Z. Sayyed and Hesham A. El Enshasy
Agronomy 2021, 11(7), 1285; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy11071285 - 24 Jun 2021
Cited by 16 | Viewed by 1974
Abstract
The quantitative yield and essential oil percentage and composition of two important savory species in response to various fertilizers were explored in a field experiment as a factorial study based on a randomized complete block design with three replications in north Lorestan, Iran, [...] Read more.
The quantitative yield and essential oil percentage and composition of two important savory species in response to various fertilizers were explored in a field experiment as a factorial study based on a randomized complete block design with three replications in north Lorestan, Iran, in 2017–2019. The first factor was assigned to three mycorrhizal fungi (Funneliformis mosseae, Rhizophagus irregularis, and Glomus fasciculatum), phosphate biofertilizer (Baravar-2), fish manure (800 kg/ha), cattle manure (20 t/ha), vermicompost (5 t/ha), and a control (no fertilization); the second factor was assigned to two savory species, including Satureja khuzestanica and S. rechingeri. The results of the combined analysis of variance for the second and third years showed that the simple effects of fertilizers and species were significant on all recorded traits, except for some constituents of the essential oil. Among the mycorrhizal fungi, R. irregularis and S. khuzestanica outperformed S. rechingeri in all traits, except for essential oil content and yield. The interaction between year and species was significant for all traits. The essential oil content of S. rechingeri in the third year (5.1%) was 18% higher than that of S. rechingeri in the second year (4.3%) and 41% higher than that of S. khuzestanica in the third year (3.6%). According to the results, the foliar application of vermin compost at a rate of 5 t/ha can contribute to the sustainable production of both savory species, improving their growth and essential oil yield. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Use of Bio-Fertilizers to Improve Crop Quality and Yield)
19 pages, 4378 KiB  
Article
Seed Coating with Biowaste Materials and Biocides—Environment-Friendly Biostimulation or Threat?
by Monika Skwarek, Mateusz Wala, Jeremi Kołodziejek, Katarzyna Sieczyńska, Magdalena Lasoń-Rydel, Katarzyna Ławińska and Andrzej Obraniak
Agronomy 2021, 11(6), 1034; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy11061034 - 21 May 2021
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2414
Abstract
The presented study assessed the effect of bovine (BC) and fish (FC) waste-derived collagen, poly(hexamethylenebiguanide) hydrochloride (PHMB) and waste dolomite on the emergence of seedlings, growth and development of pea (Pisum sativum L. ‘Lasso’) plants. The seed coating method was used to [...] Read more.
The presented study assessed the effect of bovine (BC) and fish (FC) waste-derived collagen, poly(hexamethylenebiguanide) hydrochloride (PHMB) and waste dolomite on the emergence of seedlings, growth and development of pea (Pisum sativum L. ‘Lasso’) plants. The seed coating method was used to apply the binding agents. Some of the studied agents were showed to significantly affect the index of emergence velocity (IEV) and of emergence synchrony (IES), but not the final emergence percentage (FEP). The results showed that treatment of the pea seeds with BC, FC and PHMB had a slightly positive effect on plant growth, whereas negative effects of dolomite were observed, i.e., detrimental differences in morphological traits of stipules. Moreover, BC, FC and PHMB improved maximal efficiency of PSII (FV/FM) and did not negatively influence chlorophyll content. Analyses demonstrated positive effects of FC and PHMB and negative ones of BC and dolomite on elemental composition of roots and shoots of the studied plant species. We suggest that the FC and PHMB can be used as promising agents for improvement of plant growth, whereas usage of BC and dolomite should be limited. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Use of Bio-Fertilizers to Improve Crop Quality and Yield)
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16 pages, 1268 KiB  
Article
Inoculation of Klebsiella variicola Alleviated Salt Stress and Improved Growth and Nutrients in Wheat and Maize
by Supriya P. Kusale, Yasmin C. Attar, R. Z. Sayyed, Hesham El Enshasy, Siti Zulaiha Hanapi, Noshin Ilyas, Abdallah M. Elgorban, Ali H. Bahkali and Najat Marraiki
Agronomy 2021, 11(5), 927; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy11050927 - 08 May 2021
Cited by 52 | Viewed by 3992
Abstract
Although wheat and maize are the major economically important cereal crops and staple food sources in the world, their productivity is highly affected by excess salts in soil (salinity). Applications of multifarious halophilic plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) in saline soil protect the plants [...] Read more.
Although wheat and maize are the major economically important cereal crops and staple food sources in the world, their productivity is highly affected by excess salts in soil (salinity). Applications of multifarious halophilic plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) in saline soil protect the plants from osmotic damages and promote plant growth through the secretion of plant growth promoting (PGP) and osmolytes. In this study, Klebsiella variicola SURYA6—a PGPR—was evaluated for plant-growth-promotion and salinity amelioration in wheat and maize, and enrichment of soil nutrients. The results of the present study revealed that K. variicola SURYA6 grows luxuriously under high salinity stress conditions and produces copious amounts of three principal salinity ameliorating traits, such as 1 aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate deaminase (ACCD), indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), exopolysaccharides (EPS), and osmolytes—such as proline, sugars, proteins, and amino acids. The isolate also exhibited sensitivity to a wide range of antibiotics, lack of hemolytic ability, and absence of catalase and oxidase activities confirming its nonpathogenic nature. Inoculation of wheat and maize seeds with this multifarious strain, improved the physicochemical properties of soil, improved seed germination by 33.9% and 36.0%, root length by 111.0%, 35.1%, shoot height by 64.8% and 78.9%, and chlorophyll content by 68.4% and 66.7% in wheat and maize seedlings, respectively, at 45 days after sowing (DAS) under salinity stress. The improvement in plant growth can be correlated with the secretion of PGP traits and improved, uptake of minerals such as nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), sodium (Na), potassium (K), and magnesium (Mg). While amelioration of salinity can be the result of secretion of osmolytes and the change in pH from salinity to neutrality. This inoculation also significantly improved the soil nutrients under salinity stress conditions. Inoculation of K. variicola SURYA6, resulted in more improved growth and nutrients contents in plants and enriched soil nutrients under salinity stress as compared to normal (non-saline) conditions. Such multifarious strain can serve as a potent bio-inoculant for growth promotion of wheat and maize in saline soil. However, multi-year field trials under different agro-climatic conditions are required to confirm the bio-efficacy of K. variicola SURYA6. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Use of Bio-Fertilizers to Improve Crop Quality and Yield)
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17 pages, 2609 KiB  
Article
The Effects of Plant Growth-Promoting Bacteria with Biostimulant Features on the Growth of a Local Onion Cultivar and a Commercial Zucchini Variety
by Giorgia Novello, Patrizia Cesaro, Elisa Bona, Nadia Massa, Fabio Gosetti, Alessio Scarafoni, Valeria Todeschini, Graziella Berta, Guido Lingua and Elisa Gamalero
Agronomy 2021, 11(5), 888; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy11050888 - 30 Apr 2021
Cited by 12 | Viewed by 3463
Abstract
The reduction of chemical inputs due to fertilizer and pesticide applications is a target shared both by farmers and consumers in order to minimize the side effects for human and environmental health. Among the possible strategies, the use of biostimulants has become increasingly [...] Read more.
The reduction of chemical inputs due to fertilizer and pesticide applications is a target shared both by farmers and consumers in order to minimize the side effects for human and environmental health. Among the possible strategies, the use of biostimulants has become increasingly important as demonstrated by the fast growth of their global market and by the increased rate of registration of new products. In this work, we assessed the effects of five bacterial strains (Pseudomonas fluorescens Pf4, P. putida S1Pf1, P. protegens Pf7, P. migulae 8R6, and Pseudomonas sp. 5Vm1K), which were chosen according to their previously reported plant growth promotion traits and their positive effects on fruit/seed nutrient contents, on a local onion cultivar and on zucchini. The possible variations induced by the inoculation with the bacterial strains on the onion nutritional components were also evaluated. Inoculation resulted in significant growth stimulation and improvement of the mineral concentration of the onion bulb, induced particularly by 5Vm1K and S1Pf1, and in different effects on the flowering of the zucchini plants according to the bacterial strain. The present study provides new information regarding the activity of the five plant growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB) strains on onion and zucchini, two plant species rarely considered by the scientific literature despite their economic relevance. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Use of Bio-Fertilizers to Improve Crop Quality and Yield)
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13 pages, 21014 KiB  
Article
Effect of Bacterial Manure on the Properties of Complex Soil and Growth of Ryegrass
by Ningning Zhang, Jiakun Yan and Puling Liu
Agronomy 2021, 11(3), 568; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy11030568 - 18 Mar 2021
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1799
Abstract
To cope with the growing population, there is a growing demand for more land to be rendered cultivable. A complex soil created by applying soft rocks into sandy soil can be cultivated. However, the strong water-retaining ability and extreme poverty in nutrients of [...] Read more.
To cope with the growing population, there is a growing demand for more land to be rendered cultivable. A complex soil created by applying soft rocks into sandy soil can be cultivated. However, the strong water-retaining ability and extreme poverty in nutrients of this complex soil has a negative effect on plant growth. To solve this problem, a complex of microbes and bacterial manure (BM) was added to the complex soil. The soil column culture test was used to detect the influence of BM application on soil bulk-density and infiltration parameters, and a pot experiment was conducted to evaluate its effect on the physical and chemical properties of soil, and ryegrass growth. The addition of 0.15% of BM to the complex soil decreased soil bulk-density, and increased the wetting front migration distance and soil hydraulic conductivity. The BM application also increased soil enzyme activities, which increased the available nitrogen and phosphorus content. As a result, BM increased the ryegrass root and shoot biomass. Overall, this study indicates that BM could be used as an eco-friendly sandy soil conditioner for improving the quality of complex soils, thereby, sustaining agricultural production in arid and semi-arid regions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Use of Bio-Fertilizers to Improve Crop Quality and Yield)
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11 pages, 417 KiB  
Article
The Effect of Meat and Bone Meal (MBM) on the Seed Yield and Quality of Winter Oilseed Rape
by Aleksandra Załuszniewska and Anna Nogalska
Agronomy 2020, 10(12), 1952; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy10121952 - 12 Dec 2020
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2193
Abstract
The aim of a two-year field experiment conducted in north-eastern (NE) Poland was to evaluate the effect of meat and bone meal (MBM) applied without or with mineral nitrogen (N) on seed yield, thousand seed weight (TSW), protein yield, fat yield, fatty acid [...] Read more.
The aim of a two-year field experiment conducted in north-eastern (NE) Poland was to evaluate the effect of meat and bone meal (MBM) applied without or with mineral nitrogen (N) on seed yield, thousand seed weight (TSW), protein yield, fat yield, fatty acid profile and glucosinolate (GLS) concentrations in winter oilseed rape. Five treatments were compared: MBM applied at 1.0, 1.5, 2.0 Mg ha−1, inorganic NPK, and a zero-N check. The first two MBM plots and the NPK plots received supplemental inorganic N to provide a total of 158 kg N ha−1. The yields of winter oilseed rape were highest in the treatment with mineral (NPK) fertilization. All plots receiving MBM yielded equally to each other but greater than the unfertilized check. Winter oilseed rape accumulated significantly more protein in seeds in the NPK treatment than in the 1.5 Mg ha−1 MBM + 40 kg N ha−1 treatment. The crude fat content of seeds was significantly higher in the 1.5 Mg MBM ha−1 + 40 kg N ha−1 treatment, compared with the NPK treatment and the 1.0 Mg MBM ha−1 + 79 kg N ha−1 treatment. Oleic, linoleic, and α-linolenic acids accounted for nearly 90% of total fatty acids in rapeseed oil, and the average ratio of linoleic acid to α-linolenic acid was 1.81:1. Fertilization had a minor influence on the proportions of fatty acids, which were considerably affected by adverse weather conditions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Use of Bio-Fertilizers to Improve Crop Quality and Yield)
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Review

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15 pages, 1702 KiB  
Review
Plant Growth-Promoting Bacteria as Bioinoculants: Attributes and Challenges for Sustainable Crop Improvement
by Ma. del Carmen Orozco-Mosqueda, Aurora Flores, Blanca Rojas-Sánchez, Carlos A. Urtis-Flores, Luzmaria R. Morales-Cedeño, María F. Valencia-Marin, Salvador Chávez-Avila, Daniel Rojas-Solis and Gustavo Santoyo
Agronomy 2021, 11(6), 1167; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy11061167 - 08 Jun 2021
Cited by 61 | Viewed by 11441
Abstract
Plant growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB) are excellent biocontrol agents and stimulators of plant growth, nutrition, and production. Therefore, these plant-associated bacteria are considered an excellent alternative to reduce or eliminate the use of toxic agrochemicals. In this work, we review the current state of [...] Read more.
Plant growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB) are excellent biocontrol agents and stimulators of plant growth, nutrition, and production. Therefore, these plant-associated bacteria are considered an excellent alternative to reduce or eliminate the use of toxic agrochemicals. In this work, we review the current state of the beneficial mechanisms (direct and indirect), including the production of antibiotic compounds and enzymes, facilitation of resource acquisition, or production of stimulating phytohormones/metabolites. Some aspects of the formulation technology and bioinoculant efficiency of diverse PGPBs (e.g., rhizobacteria, phyllobacteria and endophytic bacteria) in the field are also discussed. However, the commercialization and application of these biological agents in agriculture occur mainly in developed countries, limiting their success in developing regions. The possible causes of the delay in the application of bioinoculants for sustainable agriculture and the plausible solutions are also discussed in this study. Finally, the use of PGPBs is currently a priority for sustainable production in agriculture. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Use of Bio-Fertilizers to Improve Crop Quality and Yield)
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