Effect of liquid Maxiflo (Azospirillum SPP) and Trykoside (Trichoderma SPP) cultures on the growth and yield of selected crops

English: The challenge for science is to address the need for adequate food provision and a sustainable future for agriculture. The solution for increasing food production can probably only be obtained through expansion of arable land, by increasing irrigation practices or by increasing harvestable yields on available land through the improvement of agricultural technology. With regard to the latter approach, field experiments were conducted at the experimental farm of the University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, during the 2003 and 2004 growing seasons, to determine the effect of Maxiflo and Trykoside (liquid formulations of Azospirillium and Trichoderma based products, respectively) on vegetative growth and yield of two leafy vegetable crops (cabbage and lettuce), a cereal crop (wheat), a fruit crop (tomato), a tuber crop (potato) and a legume crop (peas). A randomized complete block design with six treatments (Control, Maxiflo, Trykoside, Maxiflo + Trykoside, ComCat® and Ke/pak®) was applied in all cases. Maxiflo and Trykoside were applied either separately or together. Two commercially available natural bio stimulants, ComCat® and Ke/pal<®, served as positive controls. Different growth and yield parameters were used to quantify the effect of the test products in the above six economically important crops. In cabbage and lettuce vegetative growth (plant height, plant diameter and stem thickness) were not affected but a significant increase in head mass was observed. Peas were most responsive to treatment with the bio-products in terms of the increase in yield obtained. Treatment with Maxiflo and Trykoside in combination increased the medium/large and large size fruit yield in tomatoes while exactly the same was observed for tuber size in potatoes. However, in both crops the total yield was not significantly affected. In wheat root growth was stimulated significantly by treatment with Trykoside but no significant yield increase was observed at the 5% probability level (P<0.05).