Combination of <i>Bacillus</i> and Low Fertigation Input Promoted the Growth and Productivity of Chinese Cabbage and Enriched Beneficial Rhizosphere Bacteria <i>Lechevalieria</i>

Abstract

Long-term overfertilization increases soil salinity and disease occurrence and reduces crop yield. Integrated application of microbial agents with low fertigation input might be a sustainable and cost-effective strategy. Herein, the promoting effects of Bacillus velezensis B006 on the growth of Chinese cabbage under different fertigation conditions in field trials were studied and the underlying mechanisms were revealed. In comparison with normal fertigation (water potential of −30 kPa and soluble N, P, K of 29.75, 8.26, 21.48 Kg hm−2) without B006 application, the combination of B. velezensis B006 and reduced fertigation input (−50 kPa and N, P, K of 11.75, 3.26, 6.48 Kg hm−2) promoted cabbage growth and root development, restrained the occurrence of soft rot disease, and improved the yield. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analyses indicated that B006 application promoted the production of indole-3-acetic acid and salicylic acid in cabbage roots, which are closely related to plant growth. Rhizosphere microbiota analyses indicated that the combination of low fertigation input and B006 application promoted the enrichment of Streptomyces, Lechevalieria, Promicromonospora, and Aeromicrobium and the abundance of Lechevalieria was positively correlated with the root length and vitality. This suggested that the integrated application of reduced fertigation and Bacillus is highly efficient to improve soil ecology and productivity and will benefit the sustainable development of crop cultivation in a cost-effective way.

Keywords

• soil water potential
• growth promotion
• <i>Bacillus</i>
• rhizosphere microbial community
• plant hormone