Jul 2026· Indian Journal of Agricultural Research· 0 citations· 40 references
Abstract
Background: The global trend at present is to utilise organic fertilisers of various types and sources to minimise the adverse effects of chemical fertilisers as much as possible. Bio-fertilization is a biotechnology-based fertilization method that helps plants to receive even more nutrients, the method is important in enhancing the efficiency of photosynthesis by fixing nitrogen in the atmosphere and producing growth-stimulating compounds. Methods: The experiment was conducted in the lath house of the Department of Horticulture and Landscape Design, College of Agricultural Engineering Sciences, University of Baghdad-Iraq, during the 2024-2025 growing season. The soil of Canna indica L. plants were inoculated with three levels of Azospirillum bacteria (0, 50 and 100 g pot-1) and three levels of Date Palm residues (0, 4 and 8 g pot-1) to determine their effects on vegetative and floral growth. Result: The addition of Azospirillum bacteria at 100 g pot-1 resulted in a significant increase in most vegetative and floral growth characteristics and in the number of rhizomes. This treatment increased plant height, number of leaves, leaf area, main stem diameter, number of shoots, fresh weight, number of flowers, flower diameter, flowering period and number of rhizomes. The application of date palm residues at 8 g pot-1 also significantly increased most vegetative and floral growth traits and the number of rhizomes, including plant height, number of leaves, leaf area, stem diameter, number of shoots, fresh weight, number of flowers, flower diameter, flower stalk length, flowering period and number of rhizomes.
Background: Plant growth regulators are organic, non-food compounds that are used in small quantities to stimulate, inhibit, or modify physiological processes in plants. Methods: The experiment was conducted in the lath house of the Agricultural Research and Experimental Station, University of Kirkuk, Kirkuk Governorate-Iraq, during the period from 2 December 2024 to 1 June 2025, to investigate the effect of foliar spraying with Salicylic acid at concentrations of (0, 250 and 500) mg L-1 and Cycocel at concentrations of (0, 250 and 500) mg L-1 on some vegetative and floral growth traits of Petunia (Petunia hybrida L.). The experiment was arranged according to a randomized complete block design (R.C.B.D). Result: The results were analyzed using Duncan’s Multiple Range Test at a probability level of 0.05. The results indicated that spraying with Salicylic acid at a concentration of 500 mg L-1 significantly increased plant height and produced the highest number of leaves per plant and flower diameter. In contrast, the growth retardant Cycocel, when applied at a concentration of 500 mg L-1, reduced plant height. Furthermore, both concentrations (500 and 250 mg L-1) significantly affected the number of leaves, number of branches, number of flowers and flower diameter compared with the control treatment.
A. Q. Mohammed, M. Al-Bayati, E. Yasin et al.· Indian Journal of Agricultur...· 0 citations
Background: Maize (Zea mays L.) is one of the world's most important cereal crops, and improving its productivity while reducing dependence on chemical fertilizers has become a major goal of sustainable agriculture. The potential role of plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) as a biofertilizer evolved as appropriate substitute to neutralize adverse environmental impacts wielded by manmade agrochemical.
Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the effects of Pseudomonas fluorescens and Bacillus subtilis, individually and in combination, on the growth and yield of maize compared with conventional NPK fertilization.
Methods: A field experiment was conducted during the 2025 growing season at the Field Crops Research Station, College of Agriculture, University of Samarra, using a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with three replicates. Six treatments were evaluated: Untreated control (T1), Pseudomonas fluorescens (T2), Bacillus subtilis (T3), combined inoculation (P. fluorescens + B. subtilis) (T4), combined inoculation with NPK fertilizer (T5), and NPK fertilizer (20:20:20) only (T6). Vegetative growth and yield-related traits were recorded and statistically analyzed.
Results: Inoculation of plants with PGPR bacteria resulted in a significant improvement in both vegetative growth and yield compared to the untreated control group. Pseudomonas fluorescens (T2) exhibited the highest vegetative growth rate, recording the highest plant height (148.00 cm), leaf area (365.00 cm²), leaf area index (2.63), and number of grains per spike (688 grains) compared control group recorded (92.33 cm), (10.67 plant⁻¹), (151.73 cm²), (0.70) respectively. Bacillus subtilis (T3), achieved the highest productivity, producing the largest number of spikes per plant (2.67 spikes) and the highest spike weight (283.50 g) compared control group recorded (2.00) and (161.60 g).
Conclusion: The use of PGPR, and especially Pseudomonas fluorescens and Bacillus subtilis as potential biofertilisation agents is a promising sustainable alternative to chemical fertilisation that can enhance maize growth and production, while decreasing dependence on mineral fertilisers.
Waser saad Khalaf, Ahmed waleed Abdulrahman· International Journal of Bio...· 0 citations
The continuous growth of the global population and the need to ensure food security require the development of sustainable agricultural technologies capable of maintaining crop productivity while reducing environmental impact. Nitrogen-fixing bacteria belonging to the genera Azotobacter and Azospirillum have attracted increasing interest due to their ability to improve plant nutrition and stimulate physiological processes associated with growth and productivity. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of the commercial biostimulant Azotofertil, based on Azotobacter chroococcum and Azospirillum lipoferum, on the agrophysiological response of tomato and pepper plants, in comparison with conventional nitrogen and phosphorus fertilization. A field experiment was conducted using a randomized block design with three fertilization treatments and three biological replicates for each crop species. Soil pH, cultivable Azotobacter spp. populations, plant height, photosynthetic pigment content, vitamin C content, and total yield were evaluated. Data were analyzed using one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), followed by Duncan’s multiple range test (p < 0.05) and Pearson correlation analysis. The application of Azotofertil significantly increased the abundance of cultivable Azotobacter spp., photosynthetic pigment content, and vitamin C content, while no statistically significant differences were observed for soil pH or plant height. The most pronounced effect was observed for photosynthetic pigment content, which increased by 26% in tomato and by 21% in pepper compared to the control.
A. Marta, Ștefănica Stoica, M. Covașă et al.· Plants· 0 citations
Flax is an important dual-purpose crop cultivated for fiber and seed production, but its productivity depends strongly on cultivar selection and nutrient-management practices. This study evaluated the response of two flax cultivars to nitrogen rates and foliar applications of silicon, sulphur and iron under field conditions. The experiment was conducted during the 2022–2023 and 2023–2024 winter seasons at Etay El-Baroud Agricultural Research Station, Egypt, using a split-split plot design. The main plots included two cultivars, Giza 11 and Giza 12, while nitrogen fertilisation at 75% and 100% of the recommended dose was assigned to sub-plots. Foliar treatments containing Fe-EDTA, potassium silicate and potassium thiosulphate were applied individually and in combinations at 50, 60 and 85 days after sowing. The results showed that capsule number, seed yield, straw yield, technical length and mineral content were influenced by interactions among cultivar, nitrogen rate and foliar treatment. Giza 12 generally showed higher seed productivity, with seed yield ranging from 0.43 to 0.66 Mg fed⁻¹, whereas Giza 11 ranged from 0.43 to 0.57 Mg fed⁻¹. Combined foliar treatments, especially Si × S, Si × Fe and S × Fe, often produced better yield related responses than individual applications. The findings indicate that cultivar-specific integration of nitrogen and foliar nutrient management can improve flax productivity under the tested conditions.
Amira M. Hassen, S. Abdelaziz, I. Sallam et al.· International Journal of Pla...· 0 citations
In the face of growing demand for vegetable crops, particularly solanaceous species, the excessive use of synthetic fertilisers and the degradation of arable soils are major constraints on agricultural production in West African urban and peri-urban areas. Soilless cultivation is therefore gaining importance as an alternative production system that is less dependent on soil quality. This study compared the effects of four liquid fertilisers - two organic (a poultry manure extract and a manure-based fertiliser) and two mineral fertilisers (Nutrigofol 8-8-8 and NPK 12-22-22, with the latter serving as the control) - on the growth and yield of pepper grown under soilless conditions, with the broader aim of identifying nutrient solutions that could reduce growers’ dependence on chemical fertilisers. The trial followed a randomised complete block design with four replicates. Treatment had a significant effect on most growth and yield parameters (p < 0.001). The organic fertilisers, particularly the poultry manure extract, produced significantly higher values than the mineral fertilisers for floral bud number, fruit number, fruit mass, and estimated yield. Estimated yield reached 5.11 t ha⁻¹ with the poultry manure extract, followed by the manure-based fertiliser (3.69 t ha⁻¹), Nutrigofol 8-8-8 (2.81 t ha⁻¹), and NPK 12-22-22 (2.64 t ha⁻¹). Because no unfertilised control was included, these results describe the relative performance of the four fertilisers rather than their absolute agronomic efficiency. Within this comparative scope, the findings indicate that organic nutrient solutions derived from locally available livestock waste can support pepper productivity in soilless systems at least as well as, and for several parameters better than, the mineral fertilisers tested. Valorising such organic waste as low-cost biofertilisers could contribute to more affordable and resilient vegetable production for expanding West African cities, provided these trends are confirmed against an unfertilised control and under real production conditions.
Gnimassoun Kawojou Edwige-Gwladys, B. B. Emile, Brou A. Carelle Eudoxie· Journal of biology and natur...· 0 citations
Sponge gourd (Luffa cylindrica L.) is an important cucurbitaceous vegetable crop valued for its tender fruits and diverse uses. A field experiment was conducted at the Research Farm, Department of Vegetable Science, CCS Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar, during the rainy season of 2022 to evaluate the effects of plant growth regulators and micronutrients on growth, flowering, and yield of sponge gourd cv. Pusa Chikni. The experiment comprised 15 treatments involving foliar applications of NAA at 50 and 100 ppm, ethrel at 100 and 150 ppm, borax at 0.05 and 0.10%, their selected combinations and a control. The treatments were applied at the 2- and 4-leaf stages and were arranged in a randomised block design with three replications. The data were subjected to ANOVA and treatment means were compared using the critical difference at the 5% level of significance. Growth and phenological traits, including the number of primary branches per vine, vine length, internodal distance, flowering behaviour, the number of nodes to the first male and female flowers, days to first fruit harvest, and fruit yield, were recorded. The application of ethrel at 150 ppm + borax at 0.05% produced 11.0 primary branches per vine, reduced internodal distance to 10.1 cm, advanced female flowering to 50.3 days, and resulted in the earliest fruit harvest at 60.7 days. This treatment also recorded the highest fruit yield of 140.3 q/ha, compared with 104.2 q/ha in the control. The results indicate that foliar application of ethrel with borax can improve flowering behaviour and yield performance of sponge gourd under the experimental conditions. However, the study was limited to a single season and location.
Paras Turan, Amit Kumar, Naveen Kumar et al.· Asian Research Journal of Ag...· 0 citations
