Abstract
The effects of Bradyrhizobium inoculation on soybean growth and productivity are well known, but plant responses to consortia of other beneficial microbes and microbial molecules have not yet been well explored. Therefore, the main aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of different combinations of beneficial bacteria with and without microbial secondary metabolites (MSM) on two soybean cultivars in three cropping seasons under tropical field conditions. The bacterial consortia consisted of Bradyrhizobium japonicum (strain SEMIA 5079) plus Bradyrhizobium diazoefficiens (strain SEMIA 5080) inoculated with different combinations of Bacillus subtilis (strain QST 713), Azospirillum brasilense (strains Ab-V5 and Ab-V6), and MSM (metabolites enriched in lipo-chitooligosaccharides (LCOs) extracted from B. diazoefficiens (strain USDA 110) and from Rhizobium tropici (strain CIAT 889)). Standard inoculation of Bradyrhizobium combined with Azospirillum brasilense and microbial secondary metabolites increased leaf total N (7.1%), total P (11.1%), and N-ureide (16.5%); nodule number (NN, 26%) and dry weight (NDW, 22%); root (RDW, 15.4%) and shoot dry weight (SDW, 6%); 100-seed weight (3.7%); grain yield (up to 516 kg ha−1); grain crude protein concentration (2.4%); and the agronomic efficiency index (AEI) (11%). Inoculation with bacterial consortia and metabolites increased grain yield and quality, representing a promising technology for sustainable soybean cropping in tropical regions.
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Abbreviations
- PGPR:
-
Plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria
- MSM:
-
Microbial secondary metabolites
- BNF:
-
Biological nitrogen fixation
- AEI:
-
Agronomic efficiency index
- SEMIA:
-
Section of Agricultural Microbiology
- USDA:
-
United States Department of Agriculture
- CIAT:
-
International Center for Tropical Agriculture
- CPAC:
-
Embrapa Cerrados
- CNPSo:
-
Embrapa Soybean
- LCOs:
-
Lipo-chitooligosaccharides
- CEC:
-
Cation exchange capacity
- MPN:
-
Most probable number
- CFU:
-
Colony-forming units
- SI:
-
Standard inoculation
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Acknowledgments
The authors acknowledge the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq) for an award for excellence in research to the second and seven authors and also acknowledge the Soil Biotechnology Laboratory (Embrapa Soybean) and Netherlands Institute of Ecology (Royal Netherlands Society of Arts & Sciences). Publication number 6968 of the Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW).
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This study was funded by São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP) (Registry no.: 2016/23699-8 and no.: 2018/14892-4).
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Highlights
• Soybean nodulation and leaf total N, total P, and N-ureide concentrations increased after application of a bacterial consortium and bacterial secondary metabolites.
• Standard inoculation of Bradyrhizobium combined with Azospirillum brasilense and microbial secondary metabolites increased grain yield by up to 11% and soybean grain quality.
• Inoculation with a bacterial consortium and metabolites can promote sustainable soybean cultivation.
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Moretti, L.G., Crusciol, C.A.C., Bossolani, J.W. et al. Bacterial Consortium and Microbial Metabolites Increase Grain Quality and Soybean Yield. J Soil Sci Plant Nutr 20, 1923–1934 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42729-020-00263-5
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s42729-020-00263-5