Bacterial consortium enhances nodulation and yield of legumes grown in degraded soils
Keywords:
biofertilizers, soil degradation, biological nitrogen fixation, legumesAbstract
Microbial consortia are a sustainable alternative to improve crop performance in degraded soils; however, evidence of their effectiveness in legumes under tropical conditions remains scarce. This study evaluated the effect of a multispecific bacterial consortium on three legume species grown in a Ferrallitic Red Lixiviated soil with moderate physical and chemical degradation. Between 2022 and 2024, at the Institute of Fundamental Research in Tropical Agriculture “Alejandro de Humboldt,” Havana, Cuba, three compatible plant growth-promoting bacterial strains (Rhizobium pusense, Bacillus thuringiensis and Bacillus velezensis) were selected and applied as a consortium to two cultivars each of chickpea (Cicer arietinum), common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) and cowpea (Vigna unguiculata). A randomized complete block design and analysis of variance followed by Duncan’s test (? = 0.05) were used to compare four treatments: consortium, consortium + 50% mineral fertilization, 100% NPK fertilization and an untreated control. The consortium significantly increased nodule number and biomass, as well as pod number and weight in all three crops, outperforming both the control and the 100% fertilized treatment, with significant differences among cultivars. Nacional-29 (chickpea), Güira-89 (common bean) and INIFAT-94 (cowpea) showed the greatest response to inoculation. These findings confirm the potential of the bacterial consortium of R. pusense R3, B. thuringiensis B3 and B. velezensis B8, as an effective biofertilizer to enhance legume productivity in degraded soils and reduce the use of chemical fertilizers in tropical agroecosystems.
https://doi.org/10.21929/abanicomicrobiano/2025.2
e2025-2
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