Improvement in Growth, Yield and Fruit Quality of Strawberry (Fragaria x ananassa Duch.) with Plant Growth Promoting Rhizobacteria

Growing health consciousness among consumers, increasing costs and the ill effects of chemical fertilizers are forcing researchers to reduce dependence on chemical fertilizers and develop sustainable cultivation practices. On similar lines, the present investigations were conducted to study the effect of plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) on growth, yield and quality of strawberry during the periods 2019-2020 and 2020-21. The results of the study revealed that the application of PGPR1 (Bacillus pumilus MK5) in combination with PGPR2 (B. subtilis PM9) and Arka Microbial Consortium (AMC; single carrier based [sterile lignite] consortium containing N fixing [Azotobacter], P and Zn solubilizing [Bacillus] and K mobilizing [Pseudomonas]) along with 70% of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and recommended potassium (K) and farmyard manure (FYM) resulted in maximum plant height (19.26 cm), plant spread (26.20 cm), root length (171.33 mm), number of leaves (29.55), petiole length (8.49 cm), chlorophyll index (47.46) and leaf area (333.43 cm2). Number of flowers (28.44), number of fruits (18.33) and fruit yield per plant (203.17 g) were highest in this treatment combination. The maximum fruit size (3.70 x 2.93 cm), fruit weight (11.8 g), fruit volume (9.77 cc), total soluble solids (TSS; 9.54 degrees B), total sugars (7.18%), reducing sugars (4.79%) and lower acidity (0.58%) were also recorded with the application of PGPR1 in combination with PGPR2 and AMC along with 70% of N, P and recommended K and FYM. This treatment also resulted in highest N (2.325%), P (0.256%) and K (1.323%) content in the leaves; however, no significant difference was observed among different treatments for viable microbial count.