IN INOCULANTS Nodulaid - 17th International Nitrogen Fixation ...

17 th International Congress on Nitrogen Fixation
Fremantle, Western Australia
27 November – 1 December 2011
Session Details: Wednesday 30 November 2011
Concurrent Session 14 – Cyanobacteria & other organisms
1600 - 1740
Authors: Zulkifli Hj. Shamsuddin, Tan Kee Zuan and Puteri Aminatulhawa Megat Amaddin
Department of Land Management, Faculty of Agriculture, Universiti Putra
Malaysia, 43400 UPM Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia
Presentation Title: Development and application of liquid biofertilizer inoculum for non-legume and
vegetable soybean intercrop
Presentation Time: 1700 – 1720
Solid substrate inoculant is more widely used than liquid inoculant in legume and non-legume cultivation. It is
more pronounced in developing countries. In Malaysia, the application of liquid inoculant with a consequential
reduction in chemical fertilizer consumption could be more beneficial due to the hilly terrain, reduction in
transport and fertilizer cost, and minimal hazardous effect on the environment. Locally used liquid inoculant
technology is now emerging using various organic sources and stimulant in the culture medium to prolong shelflife
and effectiveness of the bacterial inoculum. An organic fertilizer-based amendment has been used to sustain
the shelf-life of a Plant Growth-Promoting Rhizobacteria ( PGPR ) for more than nine months. This locally
isolated non-pathogenic PGPR from the roots of oil palm has N2 fixing and PO4 -- solubilizing properties besides
producing phytohormones which enhance root development and increase water and nutrient uptake (
Shamsuddin et al., 2009 ). The PGPR is protected from any adverse soil environmental conditions due to its
endophytic habitat in the plant roots. Inoculated plants showed increased shoot and root growth ( rice, oil palm,
banana )( Kok-Ang et al., 2010 ), are drought and disease tolerant ( Fusarium oxysporum cubense on banana )
and high yielding but with 65% less fertilizer-N input ( banana, sweet potato )( Mia et al., 2010 ). Inoculated
herbal plant, Safed Musli ( Chlorophytum borivilianum) have also shown increased number of tuber and content
of its bioactive compound, saponin. This liquid inoculant will be commercially prepared in concentrated form to
reduce bulk and storage space relative to solid inoculum and used in the field at 100 fold dilution while reducing
transport and labor cost in the field application. The inoculum can be used by mixing it with the seeds prior to
planting and sprayed around the base of non- leguminous plant or in the interrow of the young rice seedling and
vegetable soybean crop after four weeks of growth. These beneficial effects of the environmental friendly liquid
biofertilizer can minimize the use of inorganic fertilizer in sustainable crop production system.
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