Author(s)

Olaréwadjou Amogou¹, Gustave Dagbénonbakin², Nadège Adoukè Agbodjato¹, Pacôme Agossou Noumavo^1,3, Kolawolé Valère Salako⁴, Marcel Yévèdo Adoko¹, Romain Glèlè Kakaï⁴, Adolphe Adjanohoun², Lamine Baba-Moussa^1*

¹Laboratoire de Biologie et de Typage Moléculaire en Microbiologie, Département de Biochimie et de Biologie Cellulaire/ Faculté des Sciences et Techniques/ Université d’Abomey-Calavi/05BP 1604 Cotonou, Bénin.
²Centre de Recherches Agricoles d’Agonkanmey, Institut National des Recherches Agricoles du Bénin, Cotonou, Bénin.
³Laboratoire de Microbiologie et des Technologies Alimentaires, Département de Biologie Végétale/ Faculté des Sciences et Techniques/ Université d’Abomey-Calavi/Cotonou, Bénin.
⁴Laboratoire de Biomathématique et d’estimation forestière, Faculty of Agronomic Sciences, University of Abomey-Calavi, 04BP1525, Bénin.

The aim of the study was to investigate the effects of five plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) (Bacillus panthothenicus; Pseudomonas Cichorii; Pseudomonas Putida; Pseudomonas syringae and Serratia marcescens) on the growth and yield of maize on a ferruginous soil under field condition. Maize seeds were inoculated with 10 ml of bacterial suspension. Study was conducted in a completely randomized design with fifteen treatments and three replicates. A half-dose of recommended (13, 17, 17 kg?ha^?1) NPK was applied 15 days after emergence. The results show that the Serratia marcescens + 50% NPK treatment yielded the best results for height, fresh underground biomass, dry aboveground biomass, dry underground biomass, and grain yield with respective increases of 41.09%, 217.5%, 213.34%, 93.82%, and 39.05% compared to the control. Maximum stem diameter (increases of 49.65%) was recorded in the plants treated with 100% NPK (full dose NPK) while the highest leaf area (466.36 ± 9.57 cm²), obtained on plant treated with Pseudomonas putida + 50% NPK was 32.08% greater than in the non-inoculated control. Our results suggest the use of these rhizobacteria as biological fertilizers for enhancing the growth and maize seed yield in ferruginous soil in the North of Benin.

Rhizobacteria PGPR, Ferruginous Soil, Corn, Growth, Yield

Amogou, O. , Dagbénonbakin, G. , Agbodjato, N. , Noumavo, P. , Salako, K. , Adoko, M. , Kakaï, R. , Adjanohoun, A. and Baba-Moussa, L. (2019) Applying Rhizobacteria on Maize Cultivation in Northern Benin: Effect on Growth and Yield. Agricultural Sciences, 10, 763-782. doi: 10.4236/as.2019.106059.