Abstract:
As the global population continues to rise, ensuring food security and environment has become one of agriculture's most significant challenges. The overuse of chemical fertilizers has led to serious soil and water pollution, reduced soil fertility and increased costs for farmers. This has sparked interest in sustainable alternatives such as bio fertilizers, which naturally enhance nutrient availability and promote plant growth without affecting the environment. Phosphate-solubilizing bacteria (PSB) such as Bacillus subtilis has shown one of the promises bio fertilizers but still its effectiveness through different application methods remains underexplored. This study investigated the effectiveness of three different application methods (seed dipping, sand-soil granules, and spray)of Bacillus subtilis on the growth and physiological characteristics of two wheat varieties, Gulzar-19 and Zarghon-21. Gram staining and 16S rRNA primer were used to confirm the identity of the bacterial strain. To assess the effectiveness of the PSB bio inoculant, two types of experiments were conducted: one in pots and second in trays. Both experiments employed three methods of bio inoculant application: seed dipping, sand-soil granules, and spray application method. Chemical fertilizer and a moke sample were used as positive and negative controls respectively. Improvements were observed in both varieties with the seed dipping method. Gulzar-19 showed the maximum total chlorophyll content(33.2 µg/g), protein content (12 µg/g), and spike length (17.3 cm), whileZarghon-21 had the highest grains per spike (50 grains) and significantly increased total chlorophyll content (30.1 µg/g) and protein content (11.2 µg/g)compared with the controls. In granule application method, Zarghon-21exhibited the longest root (11.5 cm), longest spike (18 cm), and chlorophyll b content (45.2 µg/g). Gulzar-19 also performed well, with a root length of 16.7cm, spike length of 16.7 cm, and chlorophyll b content of 38.4 µg/g. The highest grain weight per spike was observed in Zarghon-21 (1.96 g), followed byGulzar-19 (1.78 g), compared to untreated plants. The spray method resulted inthe highest plant height (90 cm) and phenol content (1.78 µg/g) in Zarghon-21,while Gulzar-19 showed the highest sugar content (180 µg/g) and total chlorophyll concentration (55.2 µg/g). In all application methods, Bacillussubtilis inoculated plants performed significantly better than negative controls. The seed dipping method was most effective, followed by granules and spray application methods. These results support the potential of Bacillus subtilis bio inoculants as an eco-friendly and economical alternatives to chemical fertilizers in wheat production. Further field studies across different environments are needed to validate these findings and develop large scale application strategies.
Page(s):
72-72
DOI:
DOI not available
Published:
Journal: 1st International Conference on "Recent Advances in Green Biotechnology and Climate Resilience", September 15-16, 2025, Volume: 1, Issue: 1, Year: 2025