Bioinoculation of Chloris gayana cv. Finecut with Pseudomonas tolaasii IEXb and Bacillus atrophaeus CN4: a prelimilary study in Saline Depressed Plane of Tucumán, Argentina

Abstract

The use of bioinoculants presents advantages in germination and plant growth, making them an alternative to favor the implantation and increase the production of megathermal pastures in the framework of the intensification of the cattle systems. The objective of this work was to evaluate the effect of Pseudomonas tolaasii IEXb and Bacillus atrophaeus CN4 inoculated on forage and root biomass production of Chloris gayana cv. Finecut plants under field conditions. Three treatments were evaluated: C. gayana cv. Finecut seeds without inoculation (control); seeds inoculated with P. tolaasii IEXb and seeds inoculated with B. atrophaeus CN4. Dry weight of forage and root biomass were obtained at 21, 40 and 70 days after sowing (DAS). Accumulated forage biomass production was registered at 70 days after sowing. CN4 treatment showed significant differences at 21, 40 and 70 DAS for forage production respect to the control but this was not translated into a significant increase of accumulated production. Similar results were observed for IEXb treatment at 40 DAS. Root biomass did not show significant differences among treatments. The results obtained show the need to carry out long term evaluations on the use of bionoculants in pastures including the influence of different concentrations of inoculum and the study of different strains of plant growth promoting rhizobacteria.