Summary
The relationship between the microbial activity in the soil and the effect of seed inoculation with the rhizopseudomonad strain 7NSK2 was evaluated in a series of pot experiments under greenhouse conditions. The microbial activity in plain soil, as measured by the respiratory activity, was significantly increased by the growth of the plants. Both the respiration rate of the microorganisms and the density of the bacteria and fungi in the bulk soil increased with increasing duration of the plant growth. Upon repeated short-term growth of plants on the same soil, a similar stimulation was noticed.
The effect of seed inoculation on the growth of the maize cultivar Beaupré and the barley cultivar Iban was most pronounced in the microbiologically more active soils. The results suggest that the increase of the plant growth by seed inoculation is probably due to the inhibition of deleterious root microorganisms.
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Iswandi, A., Bossier, P., Vandenabeele, J. et al. Relation between soil microbial activity and the effect of seed inoculation with the rhizopseudomonad strain 7NSK2 on plant growth. Biol Fert Soils 3, 147–151 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00255775
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00255775