Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi and Plant Growth-Promoting Rhizobacteria Enhance Soil Key Enzymes, Plant Growth, Seed Yield, and Qualitative Attributes of Guar

Abstract

Guar is an economically important legume crop that is used for gum production. The clean and sustainable production of guar, especially in newly reclaimed lands, requires biofertilizers that can reduce the use of mineral fertilizers, which have harmful effects on human health and the environment. The present study was conducted to investigate the effects of biofertilizers produced from Bradyrhizobium sp., Bacillus subtilis, and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), individually or in combinations, on microbial activity, and nutrients of the soils and the guar growth and seed quality and yield. The application of biofertilizers improved shoot length, root length, number of branches, plant dry weight, leaf area index (LAI), chlorophyll content, and nutrient uptake of guar plants compared with the control plants. Moreover, the application with biofertilizers resulted in an obvious increase in seed yield and has improved the total proteins, carbohydrates, fats, starch, and guaran contents in the seeds. Additionally, biofertilizer treatments have improved the soil microbial activity by increasing dehydrogenase, phosphatase, protease, and invertase enzymes. Soil inoculation with the optimized doses of biofertilizers saved about 25% of the chemical fertilizers required for the entire guar growth stages. Our results could serve as a practical strategy for further research into integrated plant-microbe interaction in agriculture.