Author(s)

Olaréwadjou Amogou¹, Gustave Dagbénonbakin², Nadège Adoukè Agbodjato¹, Pacôme Agossou Noumavo^1,3, Hafiz Adio Salami¹, Salako Valère⁴, Aguegue Mèvognon Ricardos¹, Assogba Abado Sylvestre¹, Koda Fousseni Abdel Djihal¹, Adolphe Adjanohoun⁵, Lamine Baba-Moussa^1*

¹Département de Biochimie et de Bio-logie Cellulaire, Faculté des Sciences et Techniques (FAST), Laboratoire de Biologie et de Typage Moléculaire en Microbiologie, Université d’Abomey-Calavi (UAC), Cotonou, Bénin.
²Centre de Recherches Agricoles d’Agonkanmey, Institut National des Recherches Agricoles du Bénin, Cotonou, Bénin.
³Département de Biologie Végétale, Laboratoire de Microbiologie et des Technologies Alimentaires, Cotonou, Bénin.
⁴Faculté des Science Agronomique (FSA), Laboratoire de Biomathématique et d’Estimation Forestière, Université d’Abomey-Calavi (UAC), Cotonou, Bénin.
⁵Centre de Recherches Agricoles Sud, Institut National des Recherches Agricoles du Bénin, Attogon, Bénin.

The objective of the study was to evaluate the effects of nine plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) alone or in combination on maize seed germination and seedling growth under laboratory and greenhouse conditions. The germination and growth tests were carried out in square petri dishes and pots. Maize seeds were inoculated with suspension of 10⁸ CFU/ml of rhizobacteria. The experimental device was a random block of 16 treatments with four repetitions. Germination test results showed that seeds inoculated with PGPR including the control induced good germination in the range of 93.75% to 100%. The vigor index and root length of the seeds treated with Bacillus panthothenicus were significantly improved by 76.64% and 58.86%, respectively, while the maximal lengths of the seedlings were obtained with Pseudomonas cichorii with an increase of 118.95%. In greenhouse experience, data demonstrated that Serratia marcescens better improved the leaf area, height and underground biomass, respectively by 58.83%, 108.43%, and 59.16% as compared to the control. The highest fresh aerial biomass and air dry matter was obtained with plants treated only with Pseudomonas putida. These results show the potential to use such rhizobacteria as biofertilizers to improve maize productivity in Benin.

PGPR, Biofertilization, Germination, Growth, Soil Ferruginous

Amogou, O. , Dagbénonbakin, G. , Agbodjato, N. , Noumavo, P. , Salami, H. , Valère, S. , Ricardos, A. , Sylvestre, A. , Djihal, K. , Adjanohoun, A. and Baba-Moussa, L. (2018) Influence of Isolated PGPR Rhizobacteria in Central and Northern Benin on Maize Germination and Greenhouse Growth. American Journal of Plant Sciences, 9, 2775-2793. doi: 10.4236/ajps.2018.913201.