Effects of beneficial microorganisms on upland rice performance

ABSTRACT Inoculating plants with a mix of beneficial microorganisms can significantly improve plant growth and contribute to sustainable agriculture. However, it is unclear if mixed inoculations of microorganisms provide better results than inoculations of a single beneficial microorganism. Thus, the objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of beneficial microorganisms on the performance of upland rice in a greenhouse experiment using a completely randomized design with three repetitions and 26 treatments. The treatments consisted of inoculations of Bacillus sp. (BRM32110), Serratia sp. (BRM32114), Azospirillum sp. (1381), Bacillus sp. (1301), A. brasilense (Ab-V5) and a pool of Trichoderma asperellum in isolation or in a mixture in addition to a control treatment (without application of microorganisms). Microorganisms significantly affected gas exchange, biomass production and nutrient accumulation in upland rice plants. The mixed treatments of BRM32114 + pool of T. asperellum and Ab-V5 + pool of T. asperellum were more effective than the other treatments, with improved gas exchange variables and nutrient concentration. The 1301 + Ab-V5 mixed treatment showed higher averages for biomass production than the other treatments, and these values were significantly different from those of the control treatment.