Preparation of bacterial formulations with pumice, perlite and bentonite carriers and effects on growth parametersof <i>Begonia semperflorens</i>

The rapidly increasing population and the resulting rise in food demand have made the use of fertilizers in crop production inevitable. However, the uncontrolled and excessive use of chemical fertilizers causes many environmental problems and negatively affects agricultural production. The use of biofertilisers is a good alternative to chemical fertilizers for improving agricultural production without jeopardizing the ecological balance. The aim of this study is to compare the performance of formulations prepared with different carriers containing endospores of Bacillus subtilis TV-17C isolate in terms of preserving microbial viability at room and refrigerator temperatures for 8 months, and to reveal the effect of the formulation with the highest viability on the growth parameters of begonia plants. As a result of the study, the maximum improved shelf life was obtained from the perlite-containing F-2 formulation at the end of the 8th month at both room and refrigerator temperature compared to the other carriers. The formulation was found to have a viable bacterial population of 1,3x107 cfu/g at refrigerator temperature and 1,1x107 cfu/g at room temperature. The F-2 formulation was applied to begonias and increased begonia fresh and dry weight (g), flower diameter (mm), plant height (cm) and number of blooming flowers (number/plant) compared to the control. However, it was determined that there was no difference between the control and other parameters except flower diameter. When the micro and macro nutrient values in soil and plant samples were analyzed, it was found that the formulation increased the P, Mg and Fe rates in the plant and P and Fe rates in the soil. The findings indicate that perlite can be used as an effective carrier in microbial formulations and that Bacillus subtilis TV-17C is an efficient strain with potential application in promoting plant growth and enhancing macro- and micronutrients.

Journal

JOURNAL OF PLANT NUTRITION

Year

2026

Volume

49

Issue

3

Pages

451-462

ISSN

0190-4167

eISSN

1532-4087

DOI

10.1080/01904167.2025.2554095

WoS UID

WOS:001562906400001