ISOLATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF MULTI-TRAIT PLANT GROWTH-PROMOTING RHIZOBACTERIA TO IMPROVE PHOSPHOROUS NUTRIENT AND MAIZE GROWTH OPTIMIZATION

The increasing global need for food necessitates a shift towards more profitable and efficient farming methods since chemical fertilizers pose hazards to both human health and the planet's ecosystem. Microorganisms that may serve as PGPRs (plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria) for Zea mays optimization were the focus of this study's isolation and identification efforts. A preliminary screening of five isolates was conducted using growth stimulation, nutrient solubilization, and enzyme synthesis in vitro from indigenous soil at the Federal University Oye Ekiti field. By comparing each trait's maximum and minimum, the strain pool was reduced to two. The 16S rDNA sequencing method was used to confirm the identification of two promising isolates, Enterobacter hormaechei OYA S29 and Acinetobacter sp. OYA S30. The effect of Enterobacter hormaechei OYA S29 on soil phosphorus and maize development was examined in a pot experiment. The findings showed that soil phosphorus solubilization was increased from 0.4905ppm (Control group) to 0.4934ppm by (Enterobacter hormaechei OYA S29), and Zea mays development much improved, with greater plant height (45.722cm) and plant girth (4.20cm), longer leaves (35.500cm), longer roots (23.433cm), and higher biomass (7.4850g), when compared to the control group (36.250cm, 3.225cm, 28.450cm, 16.750cm and 4.7220g). These results demonstrate the discovered strains' potential as efficient PGPRs for maximizing maize growth and nutrient availability.