Miss Nicole Rudolph

MSc Student
Seed Science

Research Interests

MSc (Agric) Plant Pathology
Promoter: Prof T.A.S. Aveling
Co-promoter: Prof N Labuschagne

Plant Growth Promoting
Rhizobacteria as biofertilizers for maize

Plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) are a group of beneficial bacteria
that colonize plant roots and promote plant growth. Recently there has been an
increasing interest in the agricultural industry in the use of PGPR as biofetilizers to
replace chemical fertilizers. Biofetilizers provide plants with the necessary nutrients,
increase soil quality, improve productivity and can serve as an inoculant carrier for
PGPR. The objectives of this study is to develop a novel inocultant PGPR carrier in
the form of a biofetilizer that will ensure long term survival of the beneficial bacteria
in the soil and will promote growth of the most important staple crop, maize in
South Africa. Sixteen potential PGPR isolates will be screened using the paper
towel method to select for eight effective growth promoting isolates which will be
tested in greenhouse trials on maize. The three most promising PGPR isolates will
be selected to be applied to a novel inoculant carrier (biofertilizer) in four different
formulations and longevity of the product will be determined at 25 and 37˚C over a
six month period. The novel PGPR inoculant carrier will then be compared to other
PGPR soil application methods under greenhouse conditions with maize as a crop.
The potential of PGPR isolates to act as biological control agents against a common
maize pathogen (yet to be selected) will also be tested in the greenhouse.

 

Contact me:
New Agricultural Building
Department of Microbiology and Plant Pathology
Lab 2-12
072 580 2548