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Soil-Applied Boron Combined with Boron-Tolerant Bacteria ( Bacillus sp. MN54) Improve Root Proliferation and Nodulation, Yield and Agronomic Grain Biofortification of Chickpea ( Cicer arietinum L.)

Author

Listed:
  • Noman Mehboob

    (Department of Agronomy, Bahauddin Zakariya University, Multan 60800, Pakistan)

  • Mubshar Hussain

    (Department of Agronomy, Bahauddin Zakariya University, Multan 60800, Pakistan
    School of Veterinary and Life Sciences, Murdoch University, Murdoch, WA 6150, Australia)

  • Waqas Ahmed Minhas

    (Department of Agronomy, Bahauddin Zakariya University, Multan 60800, Pakistan)

  • Tauqeer Ahmad Yasir

    (College of Agriculture, Bahauddin Zakariya University, Bahadur Sub-Campus Layyah, Multan 31200, Pakistan)

  • Muhammad Naveed

    (Institute of Soil and Environmental Sciences, University of Agriculture Faisalabad, Punjab 38000, Pakistan)

  • Shahid Farooq

    (Department of Plant Protection, Faculty of Agriculture, Harran University, Şanlıurfa 63050, Turkey)

  • Saleh Alfarraj

    (Zoology Department, College of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia)

  • Ali Tan Kee Zuan

    (Department of Land Management, Faculty of Agriculture, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang 43400, Selangor, Malaysia)

Abstract

Chickpea is widely cultivated on calcareous sandy soils in arid and semi-arid regions of Pakistan; however, widespread boron (B) deficiencies in these soils significantly decreases its productivity. Soil application of B could improve chickpea yield and grain-B concentration. However, optimizing suitable B level is necessary due to a narrow deficiency and toxicity range of B. Nonetheless, the co-application of B-tolerant bacteria (BTB) and synthetic B fertilizer could be helpful in obtaining higher chickpea yields and grain-B concentration. Therefore, this study optimized the level of soil applied B along with BTB, (i.e., Bacillus sp. MN54) to improve growth, yield and grain-B concentrations of chickpea. The B concentrations included in the study were 0.00 (control), 0.25, 0.50, 0.75 and 1.00 mg B kg −1 soil combined with or without Bacillus sp. MN54 inoculation. Soil application of B significantly improved root system, nodulation, yield and grain-B concentration, and Bacillus sp. MN54 inoculation further improved these traits. Moreover, B application at a lower dose (0.25 mg B kg −1 soil) with BTB inoculation recorded the highest improvements in root system (longer roots with more roots’ proliferation), growth, nodulation and grain yield. However, the highest grain-B concentration was recorded under a higher B level (0.75 mg B kg −1 soil) included in the study. Soil application of 0.25 mg B kg −1 with Bacillus sp. MN54 inoculation improved growth and yield-related traits, especially nodule population (81%), number of pods plant −1 (38%), number of grains plant −1 (65%) and grain yield (47%) compared with control treatment. However, the grain-B concentration was higher under the highest B level (1.00 mg kg −1 soil) with Bacillus sp. MN54 inoculation. In conclusion, soil application of 0.25 mg B kg −1 with Bacillus sp. MN54 inoculation is a pragmatic option to improve the root system, nodule population, seedling growth, yield and agronomic grain-B biofortification of chickpea.

Suggested Citation

  • Noman Mehboob & Mubshar Hussain & Waqas Ahmed Minhas & Tauqeer Ahmad Yasir & Muhammad Naveed & Shahid Farooq & Saleh Alfarraj & Ali Tan Kee Zuan, 2021. "Soil-Applied Boron Combined with Boron-Tolerant Bacteria ( Bacillus sp. MN54) Improve Root Proliferation and Nodulation, Yield and Agronomic Grain Biofortification of Chickpea ( Cicer arietinum L.)," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(17), pages 1-15, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:13:y:2021:i:17:p:9811-:d:627001
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