Enhancement of growth and yield of upland rice (Oryza sativa L.) by actinomycetes

A study was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of actinomycetes on the growth and yield of upland rice (Oryza sativa L.). Five previously screened actinomycetes for its growth promoting abilities: YB6y, AVermi3, AVermi7, NB1 and NB3 were tested under screenhouse condition at the Agricultual Systems Cluster, University of the Philippines Los Banos. They produced both indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) and 1-Aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate (ACC) deaminase and were able to increase root dry weight of upland rice under growth room condition. Inoculation with NB1, AVermi7, YB6y. and NB3 in combination with full rate of fertilization significantly increased P uptake by 80 to 136% over the uninoculated control. At full rate of fertilization, inoculation with NB3 and AVermi7 significantly increased grain yield by 62 and 48%, respectively, relative to uninoculated treatment. The significant increase in grain yield by NB3 and AVermi7 demonstrate the potential of these actinomycetes as plant growth-promoting inoculant for upland rice. However, field assessment is recommended to determine the effect of biotic and abiotic stresses in the performance of promising actinomycetes.