JUATIKA
JURNAL AGRONOMI TANAMAN TROPIKA
VOL.
6 NO.
3 September 2024 DOI :https://doi.
org/10.
36378/juatika.
eissn 2656-1727 pissn 2684-785X Hal : 699 Ae 711 Synergistic Effects of Photosynthetic Bacteria and Endophytes: A Novel Approach to Enhance Cayenne Pepper Productivity Yovi Avianto1,*.
Nur Kartika Sari2.
Ananta Bayu Pratama3 Institut Pertanian STIPER Yogyakarta.
Jl.
Nangka 2.
Krodan.
Maguwoharjo.
Depok.
Sleman, 55282 Universitas Gadjah Mada.
Jl.
Flora No.
Bulaksumur.
Caturtunggal.
Depok.
Sleman, 55281 Edufarmers Foundation.
Jl.
Letjen M.
Haryono No.
Tebet Bar.
Jakarta.
Kota Jakarta Selatan.
DKI Jakarta 12810 *Email : yovi@instiperjogja.
ABSTRACT
Cayenne peppers (Capsicum frutescen.
are a valuable commodity contributing significantly to the economy of Sleman Regency.
Despite their substantial economic potential, cayenne pepper farming practices in Sleman often lack integration of sustainable and ecofriendly agricultural principles.
This research aims to investigate the potential of utilizing photosynthetic bacteria and endophytic bacteria to enhance the growth and yield of cayenne peppers in Sleman Regency.
The study was conducted in Gondang Lutung Hamlet.
Donoharjo Village.
Ngaglik District.
Sleman.
A randomized complete block design (RCBD) was employed with a single factor: beneficial bacteria type, including P1 (PSB Endophyt.
P2 (PSB).
P3 (Endophyt.
, and P4 (Contro.
The findings revealed that the combination of photosynthetic bacteria and endophytic bacteria had varying effects on cayenne pepper growth.
The combination treatment significantly enhanced plant height, chlorophyll content, flower number, fruit number per plant, fresh fruit weight, production, productivity, and resistance to C.
gloeosporoides, and R.
Single PSB application improved plant growth attributes, while Endophyte application demonstrated potential for enhancing cayenne pepper resistance to pathogens.
The study demonstrates the potential of utilizing beneficial bacteria, particularly the combination of PSB and Endophyte, to enhance cayenne pepper growth, yield, and disease resistance.
This research provides valuable insights for promoting sustainable and eco-friendly cayenne pepper farming practices.
Keywords: ALA.
Biostimulant.
Hypersensitive Response.
Plant-Microbe Interaction.
Systemic Resistance Copyright A 2024.
The authors.
This is an open access article under the CC BY license .
ttps://creativecommons.
org/licenses/by/4.
Avianto et.
INTRODUCTION
Agriculture is not only a vital economic sector in Indonesia but also encompasses social, cultural, and environmental aspects.
Thanks to its fertile natural conditions and the strong agriculture has become the backbone in supporting numerous local families and Cayenne (Capsicum frutescen.
has emerged as one of the leading commodities, making significant contributions to the national economy (Sodik & Winarti, 2.
The harvested area and production of cayenne peppers in Sleman Regency demonstrated a positive trend from 2020 to 2023, reaching 100,671 hectares and 1,506,762 tons, respectively.
Compared to 2022, the cultivated area increased by decrease of 2.
44% (Badan Pusat Statistik, 2.
Despite its significant economic potential, cayenne pepper cultivation in Indonesia remains largely reliant on harmful practices.
The most significant challenge faced in cayenne pepper cultivation is unstable production and excessive use of pesticides and chemical fertilizers according to (Latifah et al.
This issue aligns with broader national concerns regarding agricultural sustainability and food safety.
The degradation, water pollution, and residue long-term well-being (Sharma & Singhvi, 2.
To address these challenges, a paradigm shift Incorporating eco-friendly strategies, such as the utilization of photosynthetic bacteria and endophytes, offers promising avenues for enhancing mitigating environmental risks.
These microbial agents have demonstrated the potential to improve plant growth, yield.
Juatika Vol.
6 No.
and disease resistance, thereby reducing the reliance on synthetic inputs.
adopting this innovative approaches.
Indonesia can foster a more resilient and sustainable cayenne pepper industry, safeguarding the environment and ensuring the production of safe and highquality crops for domestic consumption and export.
According to Du et al.
photosynthetic bacteria possess a unique ability to collaborate with plants in uptake, resistance to environmental stress, and soil quality improvement.
Previous studies have demonstrated the significant potential of these bacteria in boosting plant growth and yield, including in food and horticultural crops.
Avianto .
reported that foliar application of photosynthetic bacteria can enhance consumption index in green mustard PSB application, particularly through pouring into growing media, significantly enhanced multiple growth parameters and yield in shallots (Avianto & Susila, 2.
In the study conducted by Hsu et al.
, an experiment was carried out involving the addition of photosynthetic bacteria to hydroponic nutrient solutions for the cultivation of green mustard, white mustard, and The results demonstrated a significant increase in fresh plant weight and a decrease in nitrate content within plant tissues following the application of these bacteria.
Furthermore, the number and fresh weight of tomato fruits were reported to increase after the application of photosynthetic bacteria (Du et al.
In chili plants, photosynthetic bacteria can increase fruit production per plant and suppress the potential for Phytophthora blight (Luo et al.
, 2.
On the other hand, endophytic bacteria have the ability to combat plant pathogens that cause diseases in chili plants, such as anthracnose.
Fusarium wilt, and bacterial wilt (Kim et al.
, 2016.
Muhammad et al.
, 2023.
Yanti et al.
Avianto et.
2018, 2.
Endophytic bacteria are bacteria isolated from plant organs such as leaves, stems, roots, and even seeds.
These bacteria live symbiotically within plant tissues without causing any disease to the plant (Jin et al.
, 2.
The combination of these two types of bacteria has the potential to enhance the growth, yield, and disease resistance of cayenne pepper.
A novel aspect of this research is the concurrent utilization of photosynthetic bacteria and endophytes to enhance cayenne pepper cultivation.
Previous research has primarily focused on the individual effects of these microbial groups.
In contrast, this study aims to harness the potential synergistic benefits derived from their combined application to optimize crop performance.
Therefore, this research aims to investigate in more detail the potential of utilizing photosynthetic bacteria to improve the growth and yield of cayenne MATERIAL AND METHODS 1 Research Location and Preparation A field experiment was conducted from August 2022 to May 2023 in Gondang Lutung Hamlet.
Donoharjo Village.
Ngaglik District.
Sleman .
A41'55.
1"S 110A23'08.
5"E).
The land Entisol, characterized by poorly developed horizon layers and a predominance of sandy fractions.
The land exhibits a neutral pH ranging from 6.
74 to 6.
89, with low total nitrogen content.
Available phosphorus and potassium levels fall within the moderate category.
The cayenne pepper variety ORI 212 was employed, along with photosynthetic bacteria and endophytic bacterial isolates BCB3.
The photosynthetic bacteria used were isolated from seawater and identified as belonging to the genera Rhodopseudomonas and Rhodobacter.
Meanwhile, the endophytic bacteria used were isolates coded BCB3, obtained from chili pepper seeds that were suspected to possess pathogen resistance.
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6 No.
Initial experimental plots, seed selection, seedling cultivation, and transplanting.
Plots measured 1.
2 m in width and 10 m in length, with plant spacing of 60 cm x 70 cm.
Organic fertilizer was applied at a rate of 20 tons/ha, supplemented with 200 kg/ha TSP.
Concurrently, seed selection was performed.
Seeds that submerged in warm water were selected for cultivation in seedling trays for two Transplanting occurred in the Routine plant care involved the application of NPK 16:16:16 fertilizer at a rate of 2 g/L until 14 days after transplanting (DAT), increasing to 4 g/L until 42 HSPT, and finally 8 g/L until harvest, accompanied by weed control.
2 Propagation of Photosynthetic and Endophytic Bacteria.
Isolation, and Antagonistic Testing Rhodobacter Rhodopseudomonas sp.
isolates were cultured in NC medium supplemented with 2 g/L sodium chloride for four days (Figure 1C).
Subsequently, these cultures were inoculated into a nutrient-rich liquid medium and exposed to light for five days to stimulate growth (Figure 1A).
The bacterial suspensions were gradually expanded to a 20-liter volume and maintained under light conditions until a developed (Figure 1B).
Endophytic bacteria were isolated from chili pepper plants exhibiting a high incidence of disease.
Seed tissues were endophytes, which were subsequently cultured on nutrient broth.
Isolates were screened for antagonistic activity against Colletotrichum gloeosporoides.
Fusarium oxysporum, and Ralstonia solanacearum using a dual culture assay.
Isolate BCB3, demonstrating broad-spectrum inhibition, was selected for further study.
Isolate BCB3 underwent aseptic subculturing to generate sufficient biomass (Figure 2A).
An initial 5 ml culture was transferred to a 50 ml Erlenmeyer flask containing Avianto et.
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nutrient broth and incubated on a rotary shaker for three days prior to application (Figure 2B).
Figure 1.
Isolation and Propagation of Photosynthetic Bacteria Figure 2.
Isolate of Endophytic Bacteria (A) and Bacterial Solution (B) -5 to 0
WAT
Experimental Plots Preparation 0 WAT Transplanting Antagonistic Testing of Endophytic bacteria and Propagation of Photosynthetic Bacteria Cayenne Pepper Seedling Cultivation.
Application of Endophytic Bacteria
1 to 14
WAT
14 to 24
WAT
Application of Beneficial Bacteria Vegetative Growth Data Collection.
Laboratory 25 to 28
WAT
Data Analysis Interpretation Generative Growth Data Collection.
Laboratory Routine Plant Care (Fertilizer.
Weed Control.
Watering.
Pest Managemen.
Figure 3.
Research Implementation Process Avianto et.
Research Design and Data Analysis A randomized complete block design (RCBD) was employed to evaluate the effects of different bacterial The experiment consisted of four treatments: (P.
application of both photosynthetic and endophytic bacteria, (P.
bacteria, (P.
application of endophytic bacteria, and (P.
o bacterial Each replicated ten times, with four plots per replication, resulting in a total of 40 experimental units.
Plots were separated by a distance of two meters.
Photosynthetic applied weekly at a rate of 10 mL/L, while endophytic bacteria were applied at a rate of 5 mL/L.
Both of these bacterias were applied using foliar application Seeds for treatments P1 and P3 underwent a 1-hour pre-sowing soak in a 5 mL/L endophytic bacterial solution.
The soaked seeds were then drained and Figure 3 provides an overview of the research implementation process.
Plant height, leaf area, dichotomous branch height, chlorophyll content, flower number, fruit number per plant, fresh fruit weight, fruit length, fruit diameter, yield, and disease incidence .
nthracnose, bacterial wilt, and Fusarium wil.
were Data were subjected to analysis of variance (ANOVA) to determine treatment effects.
Tukey's Honestly Significant Difference (HSD) test was used for pairwise comparisons among treatment means when significant differences were detected.
Statistical analyses were performed using the agricolae package in R-4.
RESULT AND DISCUSSION
The combined application of photosynthetic and endophytic bacteria exhibited differential effects on chili pepper plant growth.
Figure 4A illustrates that both combined and individual treatments significantly enhanced plant Juatika Vol.
6 No.
height up to 14 WAT.
However, bacterial treatments did not influence dichotomous branch height development (Figure 4B).
Photosynthetic augmented plant photosynthesis, thereby stimulating overall growth (Xu et al.
Meanwhile, endophytic bacteria can enhance nutrient availability for Endophytes have been reported to fix atmospheric nitrogen using the enzyme nitrogenase and convert it into a plant-available form (Ivleva et al.
, 2.
Furthermore, endophytic bacteria can produce plant hormones such as auxins and gibberellins, which can stimulate plant growth (Shi et al.
, 2.
Based on the chlorophyll content in leaves (Figure 4C), there was a difference between single and combined bacterial treatments.
Chili pepper plants treated with PSB alone and in combination with endophytes had similar chlorophyll A and B contents but differed significantly from the single endophyte and control treatments.
The combined application of photosynthetic bacteria and endophytes resulted in a stronger synergistic effect in increasing chlorophyll production in plants.
These findings are in agreement with Yen et al.
who studied rice plants.
Plants treated with PSB exhibited increased chlorophyll content due to the synthesis of ALA by the bacteria.
5-Aminolevulinic acid is a primary precursor for chlorophyll (Wu et Enhanced accumulation is likely attributable to elevated ALA biosynthesis within the soil heightened PSB activity.
Yuan et al.
reported that endophytic bacteria can enhance chlorophyll content in P.
by stimulating biosynthesis of 5-aminolevulinic acid (ALA).
The morphological characteristics of chili pepper plants under various beneficial bacterial treatments are presented in Figure 5.
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6 No.
Plant Height .
Dichotomous Branch .
Avianto et.
3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14
Week After Transplanting (WAT) [VALUE] Chl (AAg g-1 FW) 0,06 0,05 0,04 0,03 [VALUE] [VALUE] [VALUE] 0,02 0,01 Treatments Chlorophyll A Chlorophyll B
Number of Fruit Set
Treatments 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23
P1 27 30 35 37 31 23 28 28 32 32 28 27 29 28
P2 17 27 30 31 29 28 29 32 30 26 25 23 21 25
P3 26 22 24 25 27 31 32 34 32 29 27 26 27 28
P4 30 26 27 29 27 26 28 31 29 24 21 20 20 18
Figure 4.
Growth Parameter of Cayenne Pepper.
Note: P1 (PSB Endophyt.
P2 (PSB Onl.
P3 (Endophyte Onl.
P4 (Contro.
Figure 5.
Morphological features of chili plants at 42 DAT.
Note: P1 (PSB Endophyt.
P2 (PSB Onl.
P3 (Endophyte Onl.
P4 (Contro.
In the variable of flower and bud count, observed from 10 WAT onwards, a significant decrease was observed in the combined treatment group at the 15th week (Figure 4D).
This phenomenon might be attributed to the cumulative effects of bacterial application over this period, where plants may have received sufficient nutrients and support to produce flowers optimally.
However, after the 15th week, both flower and bud observation at the 23rd week.
In the final week of observation, the combined PSB endophyte-only treatments yielded the highest flower Avianto et.
counts compared to other treatments.
Similar findings were reported by Reut et .
, who demonstrated that the application of the endophytic bacterium Bacillus subtilis accelerated flowering and increased flower number in lily plants.
Additionally, the photosynthetic bacterium Rhodopseudomonas Juatika Vol.
6 No.
reported to enhance flower production in tomato plants.
Furthermore, flowers produced under R.
palustris treatment compared to control plants without bacterial application (S.
-K.
Lee et al.
Table 1.
Parameters of cayenne pepper yield components Parameters PSB Endophyte PSB Endophyte Control Leaf Area .
m ) 41 A 2.
44 A 2.
77 A 3.
12 A 2.
Fruit Number per Plant 14 A 8.
69 A 7.
32 A 6.
22 A 7.
Fruit Fresh Weight .
2 A 0.
99 A 0.
10 ab 81 A 0.
79 A 0.
Fruit Length .
12 A 0.
09 A 0.
88 A 0.
45 A 0.
Fruit Diameter .
10 A 0.
08 A 0.
08 A 0.
02 A 0.
Plant Production .
87 A 0.
69 A 0.
05 ab 53 A 0.
52 A 0.
Productivity .
on ha ) 71 A 0.
84 A 0.
39 A 0.
18 A 0.
Note: The values shown are the means followed by a notation.
The same letters indicate no significant difference based on Tukey's HSD test at = 5%.
Table 1 presents the yield component parameters of chili pepper plants subjected to various beneficial bacterial treatments.
No significant differences in leaf area were observed among treatments.
This finding deviates from previous research indicating that the photosynthetic bacteria can enhance leaf area expansion (Akkypry et al.
, 2021.
Andrade et al.
, 2.
Meanwhile, the number of fruits per plant was significantly influenced by beneficial bacteria, with the combined PSB endophyte and PSB-only treatments showing significant differences compared to the endophyte-only and control treatments (Table .
Treatment P1 exhibited the highest average fruit number per plant .
14 A 8.
followed by P2 .
69 A 7.
, while P3 and P4 showed lower averages .
90 and 658.
22 A 7.
02, respectivel.
These results suggest that photosynthetic bacteria had a significant impact on fruit number, whereas endophytes had no discernible effect.
A similar pattern was observed for fresh fruit weight.
The combined beneficial bacterial treatment differed significantly from the other treatments and yielded the highest fruit Endophytes did not exhibit any effect, as their fruit weight values were similar to the control.
In terms of fruit size, fruit diameter was unaffected by beneficial bacteria (Table .
Conversely, the application of all beneficial bacteria compared to the control (Figure .
Azmi et al.
reported that the combination of endophytic bacteria and seaweed extract could influence the diameter and length of Capsicum Fruit yield per plant, defined as the total number of fruits produced by an individual chili pepper plant, was significantly higher in plants treated with the combined PSB endophyte or PSB alone compared to other treatments (Table Consequently, treatments also resulted in the highest productivity per hectare.
The application of photosynthetic bacteria led to a 69% increase in productivity, while the combination of PSB and endophytes resulted in an even greater increase of These findings align with those of K.
-H.
Lee et al.
, who observed increased fruit yield and weight in tomatoes following the application of Avianto et.
Rhodopseudomonas sp.
KL9.
Similarly.
Yoon et al.
reported an increase in the number and weight of chili peppers after treatment with Rhodopseudomonas Conversely.
Dyaz-Pyrez .
reported contrasting results, finding no significant improvement in growth or yield in pepper plants treated with photosynthetic bacteria.
Endophytic Juatika Vol.
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bacteria have also been shown to enhance chili pepper yield (Purwanti et , 2.
The combined application of cattle manure and endophytic bacteria every five days significantly increased fruit number per plant, leading to a productivity increase of up to 19.
5 tons per hectare.
Figure 6.
Morphological characteristics of chili fruits as influenced by different beneficial bacterial treatments.
Note: P1 (PSB Endophyt.
P2 (PSB Onl.
P3 (Endophyte Onl.
P4 (Contro.
Cayenne pepper farmers often including plant diseases caused by various pathogens.
Table 2 reveals that the severity of Cercospora capsicii leaf spot could be mitigated by the application of PSB alone, endophytes alone, or a combination of both.
However, while endophytes alone suppressed C.
development by 18.
79 A 1.
20%, the combination of endophytes and PSB only reduced it by 25.
04 A 1.
65%, indicating that endophytes were more effective on their own.
For anthracnose, caused by Colletotrichum gloeosporioides, a slightly different pattern emerged.
PSB treatment was less effective in suppressing this pathogen, with an average reduction of 20 A 0.
90%, which was not significantly different from the control .
20 A 1.
10%).
In contrast, both endophyte-alone PSB endophyte treatments significantly reduced the incidence of anthracnose to 43 A 0.
35% and 4.
19 A 0.
For Fusarium wilt caused by Fusarium oxysporum, no significant effect was observed from the application of beneficial bacteria.
The combined treatment of Photosynthetic Bacteria and Endophytes (P.
is the most effective in controlling the incidence of Ralstonia solanacearum in cayenne pepper, with no detectable presence of the pathogen.
This indicates a synergistic effect, where the combination of these treatments significantly enhances the plant's defense In contrast, the use of Photosynthetic Bacteria alone (P.
resulted in a moderate incidence of R.
87 A 0.
, indicating that while beneficial, this treatment is less effective without the addition of Endophytes.
The Endophyte-only treatment (P.
also provided some level of protection, with a lower incidence .
A 0.
, suggesting that Endophytes alone can inhibit the pathogen but not as robustly as the combined treatment.
The untreated plants (P.
showed the highest incidence of R.
, highlighting the pathogen's ability to proliferate in the absence of any bacterial intervention.
Based on these demonstrated a more pronounced ability Avianto et.
to suppress pathogen growth in chili Juatika Vol.
6 No.
photosynthetic bacteria.
Table 2.
Severity of disease infestation in cayenne pepper plants Treatments PSB Endophyte 25.
04 A 1.
19 A 0.
0 A 0.
0 A 0.
PSB
78 A 2.
10 ab 20 A 0.
0 A 0.
87 A 0.
Endophyte 79 A 1.
43 A 0.
0 A 0.
28 A 0.
Control 32 A 3.
20 A 1.
0 A 0.
99 A 0.
Note: The values shown are the means followed by a notation.
The same letters indicate no significant difference based on Tukey's HSD test at = 5%.
Adedire et al.
demonstrated that seed treatment with Lactobacillus plantarum effectively suppressed the growth of Cercospora capsici.
Similarly.
Yanti et al.
reported that a consortium of Bacillus endophytes (Bacillus pseudomycoides strain SLBE 1 AP.
Bacillus thuringiensis strain SLBE 3 BB.
Bacillus toyonensis strain AGBE 1 TL) effectively controlled anthracnose Nurbailis et al.
also identified another endophyte strain capable of suppressing anthracnose.
The most effective consortium was a combination of Bacillus cereus SNE 2.
and Bacillus cereus TLE 1.
1, which completely suppressed anthracnose, increased plant height by 58.
33 cm, and increased fruit weight by 208.
97 grams.
Sundaramoorthy et al.
demonstrated that a combination of PGPR and endophytic bacteria effectively controlled Fusarium wilt in chili peppers under both greenhouse and field This efficacy was attributed to the induction of systemic resistance (ISR), which enhanced the activity of plant defense enzymes.
The increased enzyme activity triggered the synthesis of phytoalexins, antifungal compounds that suppressed Fusarium growth.
Yanti et al.
identified nine endophytic bacterial isolates capable of controlling both bacterial and Fusarium wilts in chili Six bacterial wilt without causing symptoms, while five others suppressed Fusarium wilt symptoms.
Three isolates, namely Bacillus pseudomycoides strain NBRC 101232.
Bacillus thuringiensis strain ATCC 10792, and Bacillus mycoides strain 273, showed the most promising potential for controlling both wilts in chili In general, endophytic bacteria can enhance plant growth by providing nutrients, improving water and mineral uptake, or producing plant growth Healthy and vigorous plants are more resistant to disease (Singh et , 2.
Endophytic bacteria can also induce plant defense systems by increasing the production of plant strengthening plant cell walls.
This renders plants more resistant to pathogen attacks (Podolich et al.
, 2.
CONCLUSION
The application of photosynthetic bacteria (PSB) and endophytic bacteria, both individually and in combination, can enhance growth and yield of chili pepper plants at the field scale.
Combined treatments resulted in increased plant number, fruit number per plant, fresh fruit weight, yield, productivity, and resistance to C.
oxysporum, and R.
Sole application of PSB improved plant growth attributes, while endophytes showed potential in enhancing chili pepper resistance to pathogens.
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