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ABSTRACT
This study determined the phytoassessment of biofertilizer produced from rhizobacteria associated with Celosia argentea L. exposed to 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, sorghumbased 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 that biofertilizer plays a key role in improving the growth and yield of plants. However the plant height ranged from 15.1 cm to 35.2 cm, number of leaves ranged from 8.7 to 23.1, leaf area ranged from 2.10 to 15.18 cm2 , root length ranged from 6.5 – 12.0 cm and rhizobacteria count ranged from 5.65 x103 Cfu/g to 8.09 x103 Cfu/g as compared to the control. The findings from this study support the potential of biofertilizers in enhancing salinity tolerance in vegetable crops, providing valuable insights for sustainable agricultural practices in saline soil environments. Hence it is important to investigate the influence of biofertilizer on plant growth and development, and on the number and activity of beneficial soil microorganisms.
