Effects of beneficial microorganisms on upland rice performance

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 (AbV5) 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.