ASSESSMENT OF GROWTH RESPONSES AND DEVELOPMENT OF BIOFERTILIZER FROM RHIZOBACTERIAL COMPOSITION OF Celosia argentea L. IN A SODIC-SALINIZED SOIL

ABSTRACT

The study was carried out to access Assessment of growth responses and development of biofertilizer from rhizobacterial composition of Celosia argentea L. in a sodic-salinized soil. Soil samples were collected from the botanic garden of the Department of Plant Biology and Biotechnology, University of Benin. Prior to use, the soil was analyzed for physicochemical characteristics and sieved to remove debris. Microbial inoculants were introduced to the fertilizer to increase the composition and diversity of microbes. The experiment was conducted was a potted field experiment. Forty four (44) bowls were filled with soil and divided into 7 groups and two bowls used as controls. The six groups were treated with pap-based biofertilizer, rice hulls-based biofertilizer, groundnut-based biofertilizer, plantain-based biofertilizer, banana-based biofertilizer, sorghum-based biofertilizer and charcoal -based fertilizer respectively. Soil samples untreated with biofertilizer was used as control. 0.5g of the seeds was sown per plot and growth analysis was taking at week 6 and 7 of growth. The results obtained from this study confirmed the beneficial effects of biofertilizer in plant growth. Plant height ranged from 24.85±2.71 to 34.85±2.86 cm, number of leaves ranged from 29.17±0.81 to 49.55±6.09, leaf area ranged from 19.11 ± 0.24 to 30.93 ± 3.72 cm2 , and foliar yield ranged from 14.58 ± 0.31 to 21.61 ± 1.62 g as compared to the control. The findings contribute to the advancement of sustainable agricultural practices and the development of innovative solutions for enhancing salinity tolerance in vegetable crops. Hence this study concludes that formulated biofertilizer has the potential to enhance the growth and yield of Celosia argentea plant.