Rhizobacteria in Mycorrhizosphere Improved Plant Health and Yield of Banana by Offering Proper Nourishment and Protection against Diseases

The corporate R&D banana orchards of Musa paradisiaca (dwarf Cavendish AAA, var. shrimanti) on a medium black alluvial soil with low nutrients harboured diversified species of vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizal (VAM) fungi. These fungi infected the roots severely (69.2%), showed elevated (69.8 g(-1) soil) spore density, increased soil bacterial density (245 x 10(8) cfu g(-1)), produced siderophores (58.2%) and reduced nematode population (2.3 g(-1)) in the mycorrhizosphere of plants for integrated plant nutrition management (IPNM) system as compared to traditional treatment of applying chemical fertilisers alone and other test treatments. The interactions of plant roots with native VAM and local and applied rhizobacteria in the matrix of soil conditioner enabled proper nourishment and protection of crop in IPNM treatment as compared to traditional way. Hence, exploitation of plant growth promoting rhizobacteria through judiciously designed IPNM system revealed the (a) relatively increased banana productivity (21.6%, 76 MT ha(-1)), (b) least occurrence of fusarial wilt and negligible evidence of Sigatoka, (c) saving of 50% chemical fertilisers and (d) permitted control over soil fertility in producer's favour over traditional cultivation practices. These findings are discussed in detail.