Journal

Journal of Applied Horticulture, 18(3): 233-235, 2016 Appl

Effect of Burkholderia cepacia and SP36 on available phosphate

and potato production on Andisol impacted by Mount Sinabung
Eruption, North Sumatera, Indonesia

Mariani Sembiring1*, Deni Elfiati1, Edi Sigit Sutarta2 and T. Sabrina1

1
Faculty of Agriculture, University of North Sumatra, Indonesia. 2Palm oil Research Institute of Indonesia, Indonesia.
*E-mail: mariani.sembiring29@yahoo.com

Abstract
Since 2013, Mount Sinabung has erupted and changed soil properties including microorganisms in the soil and affected the production
of potatoes in Karo highland in Indonesia. In vitro screening of bacteria from surrounding horticulture land, their ability to dissolve
phosphate showed that Burkholderia cepacia was the best bacteria. The aim of this study was to examine the capability of B. cepacia
and P fertilizer on Andisol in improving soil P- available and production of potato (Solanum tuberosum L). The research design used
was factorial randomized block with two factors. Factor I was the volume of B. cepacia inoculum, consist of 4 treatments; without
B. cepacia, 10, 20 and 30 mL B. cepacia inoculum. Factor II was the dosage of SP36, consist of 3 treatments: 50, 75 and 100% from
recommended dosage (9.75 g, 6.5 g and 13 g SP36/plant, respectively). The control was potato plant without applying B. cepacia but
adding 7.8 g Urea, 10 g KCl and 13 g SP36 (100% suggested P fertilizer) which was applied twice with the same dosage. The results
showed that application of B. cepacia application and P fertilizer dosage increased shoot dry weight 50.07-113.73%, soil P available
5.04-35.42%, P-uptake 34.47-163.28% and tuber yield 12.57-50.66% compared with control. The best treatment in increasing potato
tuber yield was 20 mL B. cepacia/plant and 9.75 g SP36/plant.
Key words: Andisol, Burkholderia cepacia, potato, SP36, phosphate

Introduction produce amino acids, vitamins and growth promoting substance

such as IAA and gibberellin acid that can improve plant growth
Phosphorus (P) is one of the main elements needed by plants (Richardson, 2001; Gyaneshwar et al., 2002). B. cepacia is a
and plays an important role in the metabolism (Goldstein, 1986; bacterium that is capable of dissolving P into available forms that
Sundara et al., 2002; Wang et al., 2009). The main source of P can be absorbed by plants (Babu-Khan et al., 1995).
is rock, which is not renewable, making this resource limited. P
is derived from the parent material which is mostly insoluble, In Karo highland, potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) is one of
except in certain circumstances. Andisol is one of the soil types the major horticultural crops and needs P in huge amount. For
that has problem with the availability of phosphate (Shoji et providing P nutrient for plants, phosphate solublizing bacteria the
al., 2002). The total P content in Andisol soil is relatively high, were not taken into account. Therefore, the objective of this study
approximately 160-500 mg/100 g soil, but the amount of P that was to measure the potential of the phosphate solublizing bacteria
is available to plants is only about 1% of the total P present in B. cepacia at various doses of SP36 fertilizer in improving the
the soil (Sanchez, 1992). Karo plateau is a horticulture center in availability and production of potato crops in the Andisol soil
North Sumatra, and the soil in this area is Andisol. It has volcanic impacted by the eruption of Mount Sinabung.
ash and rich of minerals and contains Al and Fe in huge amount.
The retention of P in Andisol soil in Kutarayat village, Karo Materials and methods
plateau, or north of Mount Sinabung ranged from 95.04-99.44% The research was conducted in Kutarayat Village, Naman Teran
(Mukhlis, 2014). According to Balitbangtan (2014) the volcanic District, Karo Regency (North of Mount Sinabung) with the
ash materials of Mount Sinabung contained elements such as S following characteristics: pH H2O 4.29, C 5.74%, N 0.56%, P
(0.05-0.32%), Fe (0.58-3.1%), and Pb (1.5-5.3%) while, Cd, As, total 2538.76 mg/kg, P available 81.49 mg/kg, 0.4%K, and CEC
Ag and Ni were undetectable. The soil pH was 4.4-6.5 and the 46.29 me/kg. The materials used in this study were B. cepacia
volcanic ash pH was 3.3-3.5. isolates, which were isolated from the rhizosphere of the potato
plants affected by the eruption of Sinabung, and had been tested
Plants can only absorb P in the available forms. The P of soil
for their ability to dissolve phosphate.
becomes available through the secretion of organic acids produced
by roots or microbes. Some soil bacteria such as phosphate This study used Factorial Randomized Block Design with two
solublizing bacteria have the ability to dissolve organic P into factors and 3 replications. Factor I was B. cepacia volume,
a soluble form of phosphate available to plants. Dilution effects consisting of treatments B1 = 10 mL, B2 = 20 mL and B3 = 30 mL
are generally caused by the production of organic acids such as of B. cepacia liquid inoculum/plant. Factor II was SP36 fertilizer
acetic acid, formic acid, lactic acid, oxalic acid, malic acid and dosage, consisting of treatments P1 = 50% of recommended
citric acid that are produced by the microbes. The microbes also dosage of P fertilizer (6.5 g/plant), P2 = 75% of recommended
Journal of Applied Horticulture (www.horticultureresearch.net)
234 Effect of Burkholderia cepacia and SP36 on available phosphate and potato production on Andisol

dose of P fertilizer (9.75 g/plant), and P3 = 100% of recommended effect on the development and growth of plants because
dosage of P fertilizer (13 g/plant). The control plant was without the P is an essential part of many kinds of phosphate sugar in
application of B. cepacia but 7.8 g urea, 10 g KCl and 13 g SP36 (100% nucleotides, such as DNA and RNA, as well as part of the
recommended P fertilizer) applied twice. Each treatment had 3 plots, phospholipids in the membrane.
and each plot had 5 plants.
Application of B. cepacia 30 mL, caused P availability
Size of plot was 0.6 x 4.20 m, the distance between plots in the block (95.54 ppm) 14.47% higher than control (83.46 ppm). P
was 30 cm, and the distance between blocks was 50 cm. uptake increased with application B. cepacia. The best
The base fertilizers applied were 7.8 g urea, 10 g KCl, P fertilizer treatment was 30 mL, 55.65% better than control. Kundu
application in accordance with the treatment dosage given one week and Gaur (1980) found that seed inoculation of potato with
after the plants growth. Plants were sprayed with insecticide with B. polymyxa increased tuber yield and phosphate uptake of
carbosulfan (3 mL/L a.i.) and fungicide Mankozeb (2 g/L a.i.) and the crop. Tuber yield of treatment B. cepacia (20 mL) was
weeding was done to prevent weed growth. higher compared to other treatments, increased tuber yield
26.24% higher when comparing to control. Gaur (1990)
Inoculation of B. cepacia with population 20 x 109 cfu /mL spreaded found that the B. polymyxa inoculation on potato seed
around potato roots 1 week after potato planted in the field. Soil tuber treatment increased potato yield by 52%. Phosphate
and plant samples were taken 50 days after planting. For production solubilizing bacteria generates organic acids such as citric
parameter, samples were taken 3 months after planting (according acid, malate, fumarate, glutamate, succinate, lactate,
to the criteria of the potato crop harvest). The parameters measured
oxalate and beta - ketobutirat acid capable of dissolving P.
were: plant fresh weight measured at the end of the vegetative period,
Mechanisms of P dissolution are by releasing organic acids
shoot dry weight measured at the end of the vegetative period, soil pH,
and chelate Al, Fe, Ca and Mg making P available for uptake
available soil P by Bray II method, which was measured at the end of
by the plant (Subba Rao, 1999).
the vegetative period, plant P uptake, which was measured at the end
of vegetative period and potato tuber yield. Application of 13 g SP36 increased available P, 20.98%
Statistical Analysis: To determine the significant differences among higher than control. Highest shoot dry weight was with
the treatments, data was analyzed using Anova and and means were application of 9.75 g SP 36/plant when compared with other
compared with LSD (P= 0.05). treatments and the weight was 86.65% higher than control.
Potato tuber weight of treatment 9.75 g SP36 / plant was
Results and discussion the highest production when compared to other treatments.
The increase in crop tuber yield was 22.88% higher when
The statistical analysis showed that application of B. cepacia affected compared with a control. Mukhlis (2014) found that
P uptake and shoot dry weight significantly. Application of P fertilizer application SP36 improved potato tuber weight up to 721 g/
significantly affected P availability and shoot dry weight (Table 1) plant. Most P is closely related to starch, especially in cereal
Shoot dry weight of treatment 30 mL B. cepacia inoculum/plant was grains, and the starch in potato tubers was no exception
higher compared to other treatments. It was 80.95% higher compared (Marschner, 1986).
to control. This indicated that application of B. cepacia increased Interaction of B. cepacia treatment and P fertilizer dosage
potato growth. Solisbury and Ross (1995) suggested that P had a great
increased available P in treatment 10 mL B. cepacia and 13
Table 1. The mean of pH, available P, shoot dry weight, plant P uptake and g SP36 (35.42%) compared to control. Whereas, shoot dry
tuber yield weight was highest with 30 mL B. cepacia and 9.75 g SP36
Treatment Soil Soil P Shoot dry Plant P Potato tuber (113.73%) as compared to control. The best potato tuber yield
pH availability weight uptake weight
(ppm) (g) (mg/plant) (g/plant) (919.03 g/plant) was with treatment 20 mL B. cepacia and
9.75 g SP36 mean while control’ tuber yield only 610 g/plant.
Control 4.85 83.46 13.18 3.54 610
It was 50.66% higher than control. The experiment conducted
B. cepacia application by Malboobi et al. (2009) showed that the combinations of
10 4.73 92.29 15.54b 3.49b 617.04 either P. agglomerans or M. laevaniformans strains with
20 4.29 83.44 23.01a 5.32a 770.05 P. putida led to higher biomass and potato tuber growth in
30 4.43 95.54 23.85a 5.51a 631.07 greenhouse and in field trials. They found that of all the three
F NS NS * * NS
PSB, P. agglomerans significantly increased the growth and
yield of potato plants by about 20-25%.
LSD - - 5.47 1.6 -
Fertilizer SP36 Interaction of B. cepacia and the dosage of SP36 fertilizer
6.5 4.27 89.46ab 18.63b 4.48 634.86
exhibited maximum shoot dry weight in treatmant 30 mL B.
cepacia and 9.75 g SP36 fertilizer. The shoot dry weight of
9.75 4.74 80.86b 24.60a 5.40 749.58
potato decreased with increasng SP36 fertilizer dosage for
13 4.45 100.97a 19.17b 4.44 633.70 all B. cepacia inoculum volume (Fig. 1). The plant P uptake
F NS * * NS NS in treatment, 30 mL B. cepacia and 9.75 g SP36 was the
LSD - 15.55 5.47 - - highest compared to other treatments and it decreased with
CV% 5 17.2 26.28 25 33.6 increasing dosage of SP36 except for treatment, 10 mL B.
Note: Figures in rows and columns followed by lower case letters indicate a cepacia (Fig. 2). Treatment 20 mL B. cepacia and 9.75 g
significant effect on the level of P=0.05. * F value significant SP36 produced the highest tuber yield (919.03 g/plant), and
Journal of Applied Horticulture (www.horticultureresearch.net)
 Effect of Burkholderia cepacia and SP36 on available phosphate and potato production on Andisol 235

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it decreased with increasing dosage SP36 except for treatment Received: August, 2016; Revised: September, 2016; Accepted:
30 mL B. cepacia (Fig. 3). September, 2016

The study revealed that application of B. cepacia enhanced plant

growth (17.9-80.95%), available P (10.58-14.47%), plant P uptake
(50.28-55.65%), potato tuber yield (3.45-26.24%) compared to
control. Application of P fertilizer increased plant growth (41.35-
86.65%), available P (7.19-20.98%), plant P uptake (25.42-110%)
and potato tuber yield (3.88-22.88%) compared the control.
Applications of B. cepacia and SP36 increased shoot dry weight
(50.07-113.73%), available P (5.04-35.42%), plant P uptake
(34.4-163.28%) and potato tuber yield (12.57-50.66%) when
compared with control. Best treatment was 20 mL B. cepacia /
plant and 9.75 g SP36 / plant.
Journal of Applied Horticulture (www.horticultureresearch.net)