Efficacy of Rhizobacteria to Promote the Growth and Increase the Yield of Several Rice Cultivars

Abstract

Rice is still play important role as staple food for most of Indonesian population; consequently  Indonesia is greatly relying on rice production to maintain food security. This plant is commonly cultivated with intensive use of synthetic agrochemicals such as synthetic chemical fertilizers and pesticides. However, the improper use of agrochemicals may result in adverse effects to the environment including biotic and abiotic components. This study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of rhizobacteria formulation to promote the growth and increase the yield of four rice cultivars that commonly grown in Indonesia i.e. Ciherang, Cigeulis, Inpari 33, and IR64. Experiment was done in a green house with three concentrations of rhizobacteria formulation i.e. 0%, 1%, and 2% (v/v). Several parameters were observed in this study such as seedling height, leaf chlorophyll content of seedling, plant height at 50 days after transplanting (DAT), leaf chlorophyll content at 50 DAT, number of tillers per plant at 50 DAT, number of productive tillers per plant, and yield per plant. Results showed that significant interactions were observed between rice cultivar and concentration of rhizobacteria formulation in all parameters observed. Rice cultivar IR64 consistently showed superior growth and yield among four rice cultivars tested. Except for cultivar IR64, rhizobacteria concentration at 2% showed superior results compared to 1% and 0% for all parameters observed. This study proved that rhizobacteria formulation containing Stenotrophomonas maltophilia Sg3 and Enterobacter cloacae Al7Kla effectively promoted the growth and increase the yield of four rice cultivars that commonly cultivated in Indonesia, suggested that this rhizobacteria formulation is promising bio-agent to be used for rice production in Indonesia.

Keywords: Rhizobacteria, plant growth promotion, rice yield

DOI: 10.7176/JBAH/11-16-03

Publication date:August 31^st 2021