Biofertilizers Application to Improve Growth of Maize and Soil Nutrients

¹ Department of Soil Sciences and Land Resouces Management, Agriculture Faculty, Universitas Padjadjaran - 45363 - Jatinangor, West Java – Indonesia
² Agrotechnology, Agriculture Faculty, Universitas Padjadjaran – 45363 - Jatinangor, West Java – Indonesia

^* Corresponding author: betty.natalie@unpad.ac.id

Abstract

Conventional productivity improvement still relies on the use of inorganic fertilizers. The continuous use of inorganic fertilizers is not effective in supporting the improvement of soil health; therefore it is necessary to use environmentally friendly fertilizers such as bio fertilizers. A pot experiment was carried out to study the effect of bio fertilizers application method on growth of maize and soil nutrient (N_total and P-available). Randomized block design was used with nine treatments repeated three times. Liquid bio fertilizers based mollases consist of nitrogen fixing bacteria (Azotobacter chroococcum and Azospirillum) and phosphate solubilizing bacteria (Pseudomonas malei and Bacillus subtillis). The treatments consisted of control, application of biofertilizers to seed (seed treatment) at a dose of 500 ml ha^-1 and 250 ml ha-1, application to the soil (soil application with a dose of 5 L and 2.5 L ha-1, and combinations of seed and soil application. The results showed that application of biofertilizer increased soil nitrogen (N_total), P-available and growth of maize. The combinations of seed and soil application gave a better effect than seed treatment or soil application. Seed treatment 250 ml ha^-1 + soil application 2,5 L ha^-1 increased soil nitrogen by 127.2% and P-available by 42.2%.