Photosynthesis, growth and yield of Solanum lycopersicum as influenced by the use of microbial biofertilizers

A study was conducted in order to determine the influence of the vesicular arbuscular mycorrhizal (AMF) fungus Glomus intraradices and/or the plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) Azospirillum brasilense (Az) on cherry tomato cv. Camelia. Independent or dual inoculation with AMF and/or PGPR was performed on seeds and plantlets. After transplanting, seedlings received two applications of a solution containing A brasilense + G. intraradices and were compared against the control treatment that only received conventional fertilization. The results show that dual inoculation of plants at 15 and 30 days after transplanting increased on average plant height by 6%, leaf area by 11%, dry biomass by 10.5% and total yield by 16%. Biofertilizers also increased the net photosynthetic rate, stomatal conductance and transpiration rate by 17.0, 20.4 and 17.6% respectively, compared to non-inoculated plants. In the same way, single-inoculated plants with Az exhibited 11.7% higher concentrations of foliar K.