Effect of fertilizer Microdosing of and Microbial Inoculation on Pearl Millet (
Pennisetum
glaucum
(L.) R. Br) Growth on Two Soils of the Peanut Basin of Senegal
Jul 2026· International Journal of Applied Agricultural Sciences· Vol 12, pp. 110-119· 0 citations· 31 references
Abstract
Pearl millet (
Pennisetum glaucum
(L.) R. Br) is a very important cereal crop in the semi-arid regions of West Africa, serving as a primary food source for local populations. Therefore, its productivity remains lowered by soil degradation and low availability of inputs as fertilizers. In this context, biofertilizers and organic amendments offer sustainable and ecological alternatives for enhancing crop performance. This study aims to contribute to improve pearl millet production through the application of biofertilizers arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) combined with microdose NPK. The research focuses on two soils of the peanut basin of Senegal (Touba Toul and Gossas). Thus, a greenhouse experiment was conducted using a completely randomized block design with five treatments (control, microdose, fungal inoculation (AMF), bacterial inoculation (PGPR) and dual inoculation (AMF+PGPR)) and five replicates, on each of the two soils. The parameters assessed included mycorrhization, collar diameter, number of leaves, chlorophyll content, shoot and root biomass, and ears length. Results revealed that, the microdose generated the best agronomic performance, including 46% increase in chlorophyll content and 30% increase in collar diameter compared to control. The AMF, PGPR and AMF+PGPR treatments showed more variable effects. While close to some parameters such as shoot biomass, improved significantly (up to 20% increase), but with no significant improvement in root biomass (1.02% increase). A notable site effect was observed: Touba Toul proved to be more favourable for millet growth, with an overall performance increase of around 60% compared to Gossas. These findings suggest that combining biofertilization with fertilizer microdosing could be a promising strategy for sustainable pearl millet production in sahelian regions.
Background: Maize (Zea mays L.) is one of the world's most important cereal crops, and improving its productivity while reducing dependence on chemical fertilizers has become a major goal of sustainable agriculture. The potential role of plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) as a biofertilizer evolved as appropriate substitute to neutralize adverse environmental impacts wielded by manmade agrochemical.
Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the effects of Pseudomonas fluorescens and Bacillus subtilis, individually and in combination, on the growth and yield of maize compared with conventional NPK fertilization.
Methods: A field experiment was conducted during the 2025 growing season at the Field Crops Research Station, College of Agriculture, University of Samarra, using a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with three replicates. Six treatments were evaluated: Untreated control (T1), Pseudomonas fluorescens (T2), Bacillus subtilis (T3), combined inoculation (P. fluorescens + B. subtilis) (T4), combined inoculation with NPK fertilizer (T5), and NPK fertilizer (20:20:20) only (T6). Vegetative growth and yield-related traits were recorded and statistically analyzed.
Results: Inoculation of plants with PGPR bacteria resulted in a significant improvement in both vegetative growth and yield compared to the untreated control group. Pseudomonas fluorescens (T2) exhibited the highest vegetative growth rate, recording the highest plant height (148.00 cm), leaf area (365.00 cm²), leaf area index (2.63), and number of grains per spike (688 grains) compared control group recorded (92.33 cm), (10.67 plant⁻¹), (151.73 cm²), (0.70) respectively. Bacillus subtilis (T3), achieved the highest productivity, producing the largest number of spikes per plant (2.67 spikes) and the highest spike weight (283.50 g) compared control group recorded (2.00) and (161.60 g).
Conclusion: The use of PGPR, and especially Pseudomonas fluorescens and Bacillus subtilis as potential biofertilisation agents is a promising sustainable alternative to chemical fertilisation that can enhance maize growth and production, while decreasing dependence on mineral fertilisers.
Waser saad Khalaf, Ahmed waleed Abdulrahman· International Journal of Bio...· 0 citations
Infestation by the invasive fall armyworm-FAW (Spodoptera frugiperda) pest has recently emerged as an important constraint for maize (Zea mays L) production, which is frequently managed using chemical pesticides. However, the inappropriate use of chemical pesticides can cause deleterious effects on the environment and humans, and enhance pest resistance. This study evaluated the potential of locally produced microbial inoculants and plant bioactive extracts, and push-pull strategy of cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) intercropping as control measures for FAW infestation on maize plants, while serving as nutrient replenishing source via biological nitrogen fixation. This field study was setup as split plot in two alternate cropping seasons (September 2021 and April 2022) and cropping systems (mono- and inter-cropping) as main plots, and seven treatments as sub-plots (Control, chemical–NPK+Lamida gold, Tithonia diversifolia–Ti+Piper guineense–Pi, Plant growth-promoting bacteria–PGPB+Endophytic fungi–EF, EF+Pi and PGPB+EF+Ti+Pi). Results highlight statistical identical performance of microbial inoculants or plant bioactive extracts and chemical pesticides in reducing FAW infestation by 13-73.9 %. Bio-amendments significantly (P<0.05) increased maize height, 1000 maize grain weight, cob length and degree of filling compared to the untreated control. Maize-cowpea intercrop significantly increased FAW infestation in some treatments when compared to maize monocrop. In September 2021, FAW infestation correlated (P<0.05) negatively with 1000 maize grain weight (r = -0.7), cob length (r = -0.7), number of grains on the longest line (r = -0.8) and degree of filling (r = -0.7) in the monocrop plot. These findings highlight the ability of locally produced microbial inoculants and plant bioactive extracts as sustainable alternatives to mitigate FAW infestation on maize. Thereby, opening up possibilities for further investigation on mechanisms of action that can be explored for biological pest control.
Schneideur Ndongho Tanting, Marie Noela Olougou Enyoe, A. Tening et al.· Asian Journal of Advances in...· 0 citations
A field experiment was conducted during Kharif 2022 and 2023 at Dr. BRC Agricultural Research Station (ARS), Mandor, Rajasthan, to evaluate the effect of biofertilisers and growth-promoting microorganisms on growth, yield, and profitability of mungbean (Vigna radiata (L.) Wilczek, var. GM-4) under the mungbean–wheat cropping system. The experiment was laid out in a Randomised Block Design with ten treatments and three replications. Treatments consisted of different combinations of the recommended dose of fertilisers and seed inoculation, soil application, or combined seed and soil application of Rhizobium and phosphate-solubilising bacteria (PSB). The results indicated that growth parameters, yield attributes, grain yield, biological yield, and economic returns were significantly influenced by the treatments. The greatest numerical plant heights at 30 DAS (46.8 cm) and 45 DAS (55.9 cm) were recorded under T₁₀, while T₅ recorded comparable values of 45.8 and 55.3 cm, respectively. The highest numbers of pods per plant (39.6) and seeds per pod (13.5), dry matter production (3.50 t ha⁻¹), and test weight (48.1 g) were observed under T₅, whereas the highest numerical chlorophyll content (4.00 mg g⁻¹) was recorded under T₁₀. The highest grain yield (pooled: 1458 kg ha⁻¹) and net return (₹98,855 ha⁻¹) were recorded with 100% RDF (T₅), whereas 75% RDF combined with seed and soil application of Rhizobium + PSB (T₁₀) produced a pooled grain yield of 1400 kg ha⁻¹ and a B:C ratio of 4.41, remaining statistically at par with T₅. Thus, integrated use of biofertilisers with 75% RDF can reduce fertiliser requirement without significant yield loss and improve profitability.
A. Verma, M. Mehriya, Ashish Vishnawat· International Journal of Pla...· 0 citations
Mustard (Brassica juncea L.), a crucial crop of global nutrition and industry, has become one of the most important crops for agricultural and renewable energy. In this study, we evaluated the influence of mustard variety, levels of fertilizer and AMF inoculation on growth and yield components to maximize mustard productivity. The study was conducted at the BINA substation in Bangladesh to evaluate the impact of these factors on important yield-contributing parameters. Thus, two mustard varieties (BARI sarisha-17 and Binasarisha-9) were evaluated with three fertilizer treatments and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) inoculation under field condition. The results showed that BARI sarisha-17 exhibited better vegetative growth, while Binasarisha-9 outperformed BARI sarisha-17 in terms of seed yield indicating higher harvest index. Fifty percent of fertilizer increased plant height and seed weight while both AMF inoculation treatments improved pod length, number of seeds per pod and seed quality. Importantly, the highest seed yield of 1.71 t ha⁻¹ was obtained from the Binasarisha-9 × F50 × I1 cross combination, reflecting that application of specific agronomic practices can enhance mustard productivity. This work offers valuable guidelines for optimizing mustard cultivation through variety, nutrients and microbial treatments towards the enrich of crop output of diverse agronomic environments.
Foysal Ahmmed, Mohammad Forhad Hossain, MH Rashid et al.· International journal of res...· 0 citations
Pennisetum glaucum L. is a cereal grown in Burkina Faso. However, its cultivation encounters pedoclimatic constraints. The present study aims to evaluate the effect of supplemental irrigation and organic and mineral fertilizers on the physiology and production of local millet C-88 and two varieties of Chinese millet (ZZG21 and JG47). As a result, the three millet varieties were grown according to a split-split plot system, then four levels of fertilization and two water regimes were applied. The results showed a significant difference (p < 0.0001) in physiological and production parameters. At the flowering stage, C-88 fertilized with NPK (-0.39 ± 0.02 MPa) or with the fertilizer Liquid fertilizer (-0.41 ± 0.05 MPa) and JG47 fertilized with NPK (-0.42 ± 0.06 MPa) or fertilizer Liquid fertilizer (-0.4 ± 0.02 MPa), obtained higher minimum water potentials. Also, C-88 had higher yields on soils watered and fertilized with NPK (9.46 ± 0.67 g of 1000 grains) or with fertilizer Liquid fertilizer (9.41 ± 0.59 g of 1000 grains) compared to Chinese varieties including JG47 watered and fertilized with NPK (2.67 ± 0.43 g of 1000 grains) or fertilizer Liquid fertilizer (2.65 ± 0.37 g of 1000 grains). C-88 and JG47 could therefore be recommended to have better physiological responses and better production on soils amended with NPK or Liquid fertilizer fertilizer in complementary irrigation.
Hadara Nomba Ouedraogo· International Journal of Bio...· 0 citations
In the face of growing demand for vegetable crops, particularly solanaceous species, the excessive use of synthetic fertilisers and the degradation of arable soils are major constraints on agricultural production in West African urban and peri-urban areas. Soilless cultivation is therefore gaining importance as an alternative production system that is less dependent on soil quality. This study compared the effects of four liquid fertilisers - two organic (a poultry manure extract and a manure-based fertiliser) and two mineral fertilisers (Nutrigofol 8-8-8 and NPK 12-22-22, with the latter serving as the control) - on the growth and yield of pepper grown under soilless conditions, with the broader aim of identifying nutrient solutions that could reduce growers’ dependence on chemical fertilisers. The trial followed a randomised complete block design with four replicates. Treatment had a significant effect on most growth and yield parameters (p < 0.001). The organic fertilisers, particularly the poultry manure extract, produced significantly higher values than the mineral fertilisers for floral bud number, fruit number, fruit mass, and estimated yield. Estimated yield reached 5.11 t ha⁻¹ with the poultry manure extract, followed by the manure-based fertiliser (3.69 t ha⁻¹), Nutrigofol 8-8-8 (2.81 t ha⁻¹), and NPK 12-22-22 (2.64 t ha⁻¹). Because no unfertilised control was included, these results describe the relative performance of the four fertilisers rather than their absolute agronomic efficiency. Within this comparative scope, the findings indicate that organic nutrient solutions derived from locally available livestock waste can support pepper productivity in soilless systems at least as well as, and for several parameters better than, the mineral fertilisers tested. Valorising such organic waste as low-cost biofertilisers could contribute to more affordable and resilient vegetable production for expanding West African cities, provided these trends are confirmed against an unfertilised control and under real production conditions.
Gnimassoun Kawojou Edwige-Gwladys, B. B. Emile, Brou A. Carelle Eudoxie· Journal of biology and natur...· 0 citations
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