Full Length Research Paper

The effect of rhizobacterial inoculation on growth and nutrient accumulation of tissue-cultured banana plantlets under low N-fertilizer regime

M. A. Baset Mia¹, Z. H. Shamsuddin¹*, Z. Wahab² and M. Marziah³

¹Departments of Land Management, Universiti Putra Malysia, 43400 UPM, Serdang, Selanor DE, Malysia.

²Crop Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Universiti Putra Malysia, 43400 UPM, Serdang, Selanor DE, Malysia.

³Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Science, Universiti Putra Malysia, 43400 UPM, Serdang, Selanor DE, Malysia.

*Corresponding author. E-mail: zulsham@agri.upm.edu.my.

Accepted 25 August, 2009

   Abstract

Banana, an important fruit crop, requires high amounts of N-fertilizers for commercial cultivation. This, however, is costly and can be hazardous to the soil environment when used excessively. Biofertilizer is globally accepted as an alternative source of N-fertilizer and can substantially supplement the N requirement while enhancing the uptake of water and mineral nutrients of crop plants. An experiment was conducted to observe the effect of plant growth promoting rhizobacterial inoculation on growth, nutrient uptake of bananas grown under hydroponics condition. The design of the experiment was randomized complete block with five replicates. The following six treatments were imposed: T₁ (control; N₀-PGPR), T₂: (N₀+Sp7), T₃: (N₀+ UPMB10), T₄: (N_33%+ Sp7), T₅: (N_33% + UPMB10), and T₆: (N_100%-PGPR). The results showed that inoculation by UPMB10 with minimal fertilizer-N supply increased (P < 0.05) the primary root elongation and secondary root initiation and subsequently increased (P < 0.05) the root biomass. The same treatment also increased (P < 0.05) N concentration in pseudostem and leaves and Ca concentration in roots. The total accumulation of N, P, K, Ca and Mg were increased due to inoculation; a consequence of increased plant growth. Plants with this treatment produced an equivalent total dry matter as those supplied with 100% N.

Key words: Banana, rhizobacteria, root stimulation, growth, nutrient uptake.