Plant Growth Promotional Effect of <i>Azotobacter chroococcum</i>, <i>Piriformospora indica</i> and Vermicompost on Rice Plant

Abstract

The activities of rhizospheric organisms have been well recognized in non-leguminous plants such as tropical grasses, rice and maize. Such activities include nitrogen fixation, phosphate solubilization and mineralization that are beneficial for the overall growth and development of the plant. An experiment was carried out to study the growth promotion of rice (Oryza sativa L.) due to dual inoculation of Azotobacter chroococcum and Piriformospora indica along with vermicompost. The effects on shoot length, root length, fresh shoot and root weight, dry shoot and root weight, and panicle number on 45th day and 90th day were investigated. In both the stages these parameters of all the treated plants were significantly (P<0.05) greater than the uninoculated control. Dual inoculated plants in presence of vermicompost gave better positive effects on both 45th day and 90th day, in comparison to single inoculation of A. chroococcum, P. indica and vermicompost. However, A. chroococcum treated plants showed significant decrease in dry root weight as compared to control plants on 90th day observation. This suggested that dual inoculation of A. chroococcum and P. indica had beneficiary response on growth of rice plant.

Key words: rice; Azotobacter chroococcum; Piriformospora indica; vermicompost; mycorrhizae nitrogen fixation

DOI: 10.3126/njst.v9i0.3170

Nepal Journal of Science and Technology 9 (2008) 85-90