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Potential applicability of a cyanobacterium as a biofertilizer and biopesticide in rice fields

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Abstract

Aims

This study aimed to evaluate the potential applicability of Anabaena variabilis SCAU30 as a biofertilizer and biopesticide in rice fields.

Methods

The effects of A. variabilis SCAU30 inoculation on disease severity, plant growth, rice yield, and soil nutrients were investigated by microchamber, micro-area, and field experiments. The nitrogen fixation ability was estimated by acetylene reduction activity. Hormones were analyzed using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry.

Results

In microchamber experiments, the control efficacies of A. variabilis SCAU30 against rice sheath blight and bacterial blight were 62.3 ± 8.9% and 45.3 ± 5.6%, respectively. The cell extracts of A. variabilis SCAU30 exhibited high antagonistic effects on corresponding pathogens, whereas volatile compounds only showed inhibition on Xanthomonas oryzae. The results of pond experiments showed that inoculation with A. variabilis SCAU30 could promote the growth of rice plants, increase yield, control diseases, and decrease chemical nitrogen fertilizer input. Moreover, in field experiments, the combined treatment of A. variabilis SCAU30 and 50% topdressing fertilizer increased rice yields by 13.9%–22% compared with the conventional fertilizer treatment. This potentially represents economic gains of 26,753 ~ 38,987 Chinese Yuan ha−1 season−1 if sold as a green food.

Conclusions

The present study suggests that A. variabilis SCAU30 may act as a fertilizer and pesticide in developing green rice in South China.

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Abbreviations

SCAU:

South China Agricultural University

NFC:

nitrogen-fixing cyanobacterium

RSB:

rice sheath blight;

RBB:

rice leaf blight

PDA:

potato dextrose agar

NA:

nutrient agar

Chl a :

chlorophyll a

TN:

total nitrogen

TOC:

total organic carbon

NH4-N:

ammonium nitrogen

AP:

available phosphorus

FW:

fresh weight

DW:

dry weight

SA:

salicylic acid

TZ:

trans-zeatin

TZR:

trans-zeatin riboside

N6:

N6-dimethylallyladenine

IBA:

indole-3-butyric acid

IAM:

indole-3-acetamide

CRD:

completely randomized design

CNY:

Chinese Yuan

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the Public Welfare Science and Technology Research Project of Zhongshan City (2018B1013 and 2019B2004), the Science and Technology Planning Project of Qingyuan City (2019DZX005), the Science and Technology Planning Project of Guangdong Province, China (2019B030301007), and the Open Foundation of Integrative Microbiology Research Centre of South China Agricultural University (IM20170301).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Laboratory of Agro-Environment in the Tropics, Ministry of Agriculture, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Eco-Circular Agriculture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China

    Jiangqiao Bao, Chen Zhuo, Fei Hu, Huashou Li, Zengqiang Su & Hongzhi He

  2. Zhongshan Quality Supervision & Inspection Institute of Agricultural Products, Zhongshan, 528403, China

    Dinghuang Zhang

  3. Qingyuan Polytechnic, Qingyuan, 511510, China

    Yongjun Li & Yansheng Liang

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  1. Jiangqiao Bao
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  2. Chen Zhuo
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  9. Hongzhi He
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Correspondence to Hongzhi He.

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Bao, J., Zhuo, C., Zhang, D. et al. Potential applicability of a cyanobacterium as a biofertilizer and biopesticide in rice fields. Plant Soil 463, 97–112 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-021-04899-9

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