Morpho-productive response of bell pepper plants biofertilized with Pseudomonas putida and reduced dosage of synthetic fertilizers in greenhouse

Abstract

Human populations generate high food consumption, so this situation causes an increase in the application of synthetic fertilizers that are expensive and contaminate the environment. Rhizosphere bacteria are an alternative to synthetic fertilizer application because they stimulate plant growth and productivity, do not contaminate the environment, and their application is low cost. Thus the objective of this study was to determine the inoculation effect of three rhizobacterial strains of Pseudomonas putida and the application of two synthetic fertilization concentrations on the morphological parameters and fruit yield in bell pepper plants variety ‘California Wonder’ in greenhouse conditions. The plants were inoculated with the rhizobacteria P. putida cataloged as FA-8, FA-56, and FA-60, individually and in combination; two concentrations of synthetic fertilization were applied at 100 and 75% to determine plant height, stem diameter, root length and volume, fresh and dry biomass, yield and total soluble solid content of fruit and bacterial population. The results indicated that bacteria and synthetic fertilization dosage increased all the morphological parameters and productivity of bell pepper. The use of P. putida as a bio-fertilizer can be important in the sustainable production of horticultural crops such as C. annuum.