Abstract
Onion is a highly nutrient-responsive crop. Conventional methods of fertilization have undoubtedly helped in improving both bulb yield and quality. But lately, routine management practices in the Philippines appear to be incapable of maintaining yields over the long term. The steady depletion of native soil fertility and the occurrence of multiple nutrient deficiencies in onion fields have led to the use of microbials in combination with fertilizers for sustainable onion production. Biofertilization methods played an essential role in plant nutritional requirements since biofertilizers were reported to enhance crop productivity through improving plant nutrition, enhancement of nutrient availability, nitrogen fixation, phosphate solubilization, and plant hormone production. Three microbial strains with biofertilizer potentials were chosen to evaluate for growth promotion and yield of multiplier onion (Australian variety). A field experiment was designed in a strip plot design comprising of fertilizer source and microbials. Data obtained were analyzed using analysis of variance, and mean values were subject to Honestly Significant Difference Test at P = 0.05. Two of the three microbials used in this experiment were identified as Bacillus subtilis and Paenibacillus polymyxa through their biochemical characterization. The results of field experiment showed that onion treated with P. polymyxa significantly produced the longer laminar length of onion seedlings at 45 days after treatment (33.24 cm) compared to untreated control (28.44 cm). Also, onion treated with B. subtilis strains 1 (32.02 cm) and 2 (31.31 cm) showed a significant increase in laminar length compared to control. The treated onion seedlings with microbials grown under conventional practice produced larger bulbs. The yield of harvested green onion and dry bulbs was higher in microbial-treated onion plots compared to the untreated (18.16 t ha−1 versus 10.99 t ha−1). The higher percentage of marketable yield (97.07%) of green onion has resulted in microbial-treated plots. Our results suggest that treatments supplying inorganic fertilizers and microbials or organic fertilizer and microbials in combination generated a significant bulb yield response over the control.
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Acknowledgment
Special thanks are given to the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic, and Natural Resources Research and Development for funding this research and the Mariano Marcos State University administration for their full support.
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Bucao, D.S., Yapit, R.H., Gabriel, M.L.S. (2019). Biochemical Characterization of Microbials and Their Effects on the Growth and Yield of Multiplier Onion (Allium ascalonicum L.) in Northwestern Philippines. In: Sayyed, R., Reddy, M., Antonius, S. (eds) Plant Growth Promoting Rhizobacteria (PGPR): Prospects for Sustainable Agriculture. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-6790-8_5
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