Reducing mineral fertilizer use for sustainable agriculture: The influence of seed coating with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal spores and Leifsonia bacteria on maize (Zea mays L.) and sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench) production

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) have been proposed as biofertilizers for sustainable agriculture. Nevertheless, many of the delivery approaches these beneficial microorganisms disadvantage limited applicability. The study aim was to evaluate fertilizing potential seed coating with microbial fertilizers on yield parameters maize sorghum. Field trials were conducted using a technique where AMF spores (Rhizophagus fasciculatus Rhizophagus aggregatus) PGPR (Leifsonia sp.) applied around seeds (Early-Thai) sorghum (Nganda). Experiments included following treatments: Coated seed, coated in combination mineral fertilizer (NPK, 15-15-15) at 75 kg/ha, uncoated without NPK 150 kg/ha. Data collected root colonization, growth, soil spore richness density. Research this area suggests that there is little likelihood significant response from coating, despite high colonization rates. However, plants treated 50% achieved significantly higher final heights yields both Plant production reached suggesting our case poor soils, application alone not sufficient achieve improvements production. We also found neither fertilizer, nor treatments had any effect morphotype richness. further increased Key words: Zea mays, Sorghum bicolor, arbuscular fungal, rhizobacteria, fertilizers, yield, field trial.