Studies on effect of plant growth promoting rhizobacteria and GA3 on plant growth, fruiting and soil health of strawberry (Fragaria x ananassa Duch.) cultivar Chandler

Loading...
Thumbnail Image
Date
2015
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
YSPU
Abstract
The present investigations entitled “Studies on the effect of plant growth promoting rhizobacteria and GA3 on plant growth, fruiting and soil health of strawberry cultivar Chandler” were conducted in the experimental area of Dr. Y. S. Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry, Nauni, Solan, during the year 2013 and 2014. The studies were conducted under two different experiments, with the objectives to study the effect of plant growth promoting rhizobacteria on plant growth, yield, quality, leaf nutrient status and soil health, and to study the effect of GA3 and its combinations with plant growth promoting rhizobacteria on plant growth, yield, quality and leaf nutrient status. The experiments were laid out in randomized block design consisting 35 treatments along with control and replicated thrice. In the present investigation, Experiment-1 included the application of five different isolates of plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (S1: Bacillus licheniformis CKA 1, S2: Bacillus subtilis CB 8 A, S3: Bacillus sp. RG1, S4: Bacillus sp. S1 and S5: Bacillus sp. S2) to the strawberry plants through root dip (at the time of planting), foliar application (20 days before expected flowering) and root dip+ foliar application methods, while in Experiment- II, different concentrations of GA3 (25, 50 and 75 ppm) alone or in combinations with these isolates applied as foliar application. Among the different treatment combinations, S1, S3 and S4, alone applied as root dip + foliar application methods or in combination with GA3 @ 75 ppm as foliar application method, were recorded to be most effective isolates with respect to plant height, spread and number of crowns per plant, whereas S4 and S5 was effective in increasing leaf area and number of runners per plant. All the isolates alone or in combination with GA3 resulted in early flowering, harvesting, longest flowering and harvesting durations and yield as compared to the control. The number of fruits and yield per plant were recorded highest with the individual application of S1, S2 and S4 through root dip + foliar application method or in combination with 75 ppm GA3. In case of fruit quality, the isolates S1, S3 and S5 resulted in increased fruit quality viz., fruit weight, size, TSS, acidity, sugars and ascorbic acid. The TSS and sugars were maximum when these isolates were applied alone through root dip or in combination with 25 ppm GA3. The increase in GA3 concentrations resulted in decreased TSS and sugar content, and increase in acidity and ascorbic acid content. The anthocyanin content was maximum with the application of S1 and S2 through root dip method or in combination with 50 ppm GA3 but showed a decline in content at higher GA3 concentration. Results further showed that the leaf nutrient status (N, P, K, Ca, Mg, Zn, Fe, Cu and Mn) were also increased with the application of S1, S2 and S5 when applied through root dip + foliar application method or in combination with GA3 @ 75 ppm. However, improved soil health and soil biological properties (available N, P, K, Zn, Fe, Cu, Mn, total rhizobacteria and endo-rhizobacteria, phosphate solubilizing, siderophore producing and nitrogen fixing bacteria) were also observed with the application of these isolates when applied through root dip + foliar application methods.
Description
Keywords
planting, application methods, bacteria, biological development, growth promoters, vegetative propagation, foliar application, strawberry (plant), fruits, acidity
Citation
Collections