Study on the Effect of Co-Inoculation of bradyrhizobium Japonicum and piriformospora Indica Verma et al. on Glycine Max(L.) Merr.

Abstract

The effect of dual inoculationofBradyrhizobium japonicumandPiriformospora indicaVermaet al.on the host plant soybean [Glycine max(L.)Merr. cv “Sathiya”] inpotcultures were investigated using sterilized and unsterilized soil and effects wererecorded after every 15 days interval i.e. on 21 st , 35 th , 50 th and 65 th from the date ofplantation. From a number of physiological indices measured in this study,microsymbionts increased nodule number, nodule fresh and dry weight, shoot length,root and shoot fresh and dry weight, nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium (NPK) contentof soil and inoculated plants as compared with non-inoculated controls. Inboth theexperiments, thehighest increment wasobserved in dual inoculated plants onall thedays observed. Root colonization on soybean plants increased in presence of B.japonicumthanwhenP. indicawas treatedalone and percentage colonization increasedwith time. The better growth responses of inoculated plants were attributed toimprovement in nutrient uptake, especially NPK. Therefore, this study providesevidence for benefits ofB. japonicum toP. indica in the growth promotion of the hostplant and this tripartite symbiosis could be a new approach to increase the productivityof thehost plant.Thus, the microsymbionts have high potential in agro-forestry to beused as biofertilizers.