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Growth-promoting bacteria found to improve potato yield despite unfavorable conditions

10/11/2021 // Franz Walker // Views

Tags: bacteria, crop yield, discoveries, environment, food independence, food supply, goodscience, green living, harvest, home gardening, organic faming, Potato, research, rhizobacteria

Researchers from the University of Ljubljana in Slovenia tested the effects of two growth-promoting bacteria, namely, Pseudomonas fluorescens and Azospirillum brasilense, on the yield of three potato varieties. Their findings were published in the journal Acta Agriculturae Scandinavica, Section B — Soil & Plant Science.

• The researchers planted three potato varieties with different longevity of growth periods – "Morgana" (mid-early variety), Sunity (early variety) and "Primabelle" (very early variety).
• A commercial product, Rhizoflo Premium, containing two species of rhizobacteria, P. flourescens and A. brasilense, was used.
• The experimental plots for each variety were divided into three blocks, and each were given one of three treatments:

  • First treatment -- tubers soaked for 10 to 15 minutes in a 3 percent solution of the product.
  • Second treatment -- tubers sprayed with a solution containing the product during sowing using a backpack sprayer.
  • Third treatment -- no soaking or spraying (control group).

• The plots were planted during an unusually hot and dry summer. On most days, the temperature was 2 C higher than the average temperature between 1981 to 2020.
• The researchers observed that all three potato varieties had higher productivity than the control group after treatment with the solution containing the two bacteria.
• In the first group, the Morgana variety was 17 percent more productive, the Sunita variety was 27 percent more productive and the Primabelle variety was 31 percent more productive.
• In the second group, only the Primabelle variety produced a consistently higher yield – 24 percent – than in the control treatment.

The researchers concluded that treatment with a mixture containing P. flourescens and A. brasilense can help increase potato yield under dry conditions.

Journal Reference:

Trdan S, Vu?ajnk F, Bohinc T, Vidrih M. THE EFFECT OF A MIXTURE OF TWO PLANT GROWTH-PROMOTING BACTERIAL FROM ARGENTINA ON THE YIELD OF POTATO, AND OCCURRENCE OF PRIMARY POTATO DISEASES AND PEST. Acta Agriculturae Scandinavica, Section B — Soil & Plant Science. 28 June 2018; 69:1, 89-94. DOI: 10.1080/09064710.2018.1492628

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