Growth and nutrition of cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) under water deficit as influenced by microbial inoculation via seed coating

0533719 - BÚ 2021 RIV DE eng J - Journal Article
Rocha, I. - Ma, Y. - Vosátka, Miroslav - Freitas, H. - Oliveira, R. S.
Growth and nutrition of cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) under water deficit as influenced by microbial inoculation via seed coating.
Journal of Agronomy and Crop Science. Roč. 205, č. 5 (2019), s. 447-459. ISSN 0931-2250. E-ISSN 1439-037X
Institutional support: RVO:67985939
Keywords : arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi * drought stress tolerance * seed inoculation * plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria
OECD category: Plant sciences, botany
Impact factor: 3.057, year: 2019
Method of publishing: Limited access
https://doi.org/10.1111/jac.12335

Drought can drastically reduce cowpea [Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.] biomass and grain yield. The application of plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi can confer resistance to plants and reduce the effects of environmental stresses, including drought. Seed coating is a technique which allows the application of minor amounts of microbial inocula. Main effects of the factors inoculation and water regime showed that: severe or moderate water deficit had a general negative impact on cowpea plants, total biomass production, seed weight and seed yield were enhanced in plants inoculated with P. putida, inoculation of R. irregularis significantly increased nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) shoot concentrations, and R. irregularis enhanced both chlorophyll b and carotenoids contents, particularly under severe water deficit. Plants inoculated with P. putida + R. irregularis had an increase in shoot P concentration of 85% and 57%, under moderate and severe water deficit, respectively. Singly inoculated P. putida improved potassium shoot concentration by 25% under moderate water deficit. Overall, in terms of agricultural productivity the inoculation of P. putida under water deficit might be promising. Seed coating has the potential to be used as a large-scale delivery system of beneficial microbial inoculants.
Permanent Link: http://hdl.handle.net/11104/0314887