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Abstract : |
A field study was conducted to determine the effects of different local strains of PGPR and nitrogen fertilizer on growth and yield of sweetpotato. Four PGPR strains (Klebsiella sp. UPM SP9, Erwinia sp. UPM SP10, Azospirillum brasilense SP7 and Bacillus sphaericus UPMB 10) and a non-ninoculated control and three levels of nitrogen fertilizer (0, 33 and 100 kg N ha-1) were used. Plants were grown for 110 days and plant biomass, storage root yield, nutrient concentrations of both storage root and plants parts were determined. Plants inoculated with the PGPR together with 1/3 of the normal rate (33 kg N ha-1) gave the highest storage root dry weight compared to non-inoculated control plants. Inoculation also increased the concentrations of N, P and K in shoots and storage root. The experiment indicated that PGPR could be used as bioenhancer and biofertilizer for sweetpotato production at reduced rates of N fertilization., |
