Salt Tolerant PGPR and FYM Application in Saline Soil Paddy Agriculture Sustainability

Abstract

Paddy rice ecosystem worsens widely with the anthropogenic alterations in the aquatic ecology. Reduced productivity under saline stressed agro-ecosystem holds crucial importance for future rice basket. In this study, we conduct 2 years successive field experiment to examine inoculation effect of salt tolerant plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR)-Curtobacterium albidum strain SRV4 with different dose of farmyard manure (FYM) on soils restoration capacity, crop productivity and the plant antioxidant activity under saline soils. Total four treatments were successfully applied in completely randomised block design (CRBD) in every crop cycles. The treatments were (1) Control (2) SRV4 (3) FYM (50 t ha−1) and (4) FYM (50 t ha−1) + SRV4. The results showed that the amendment of plots with SRV4 inocula and FYM significantly affect soil physicochemical properties and indicates mineral restoration potential of the treatments. Paddy yield components—plant height, tillers, panicles and rice yield-were significantly improved in the both crop cycle. A significant variation was observed in plant antioxidant enzyme-catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POX) and ascorbate peroxidase (APX) in 2015 crop cycle and similar trends was noticed in 2016. However, treatment × year interaction was observed insignificant for the plant growth parameters and antioxidant activities in both the years. Regression analysis exhibited significant negative relationship between the paddy plant growth parameters and antioxidant enzyme activities. In conclusion, the application of the FYM amendment with PGPRs may improve the paddy productivity and soil fertility in nutrient poor saline paddy agro-ecosystem of dry tropical regions.