Effect of nutrient concentration, PGPR and AMF on plant growth, yield and nutrient uptake of hydroponic lettuce

This study determined the effect of three nutrient concentration level and inoculation of PGPR, AMF and consortium PGPR+AMF on plant growth, yield, and nutrient uptake in hydroponic romaine lettuce. Data were recorded for changes in plant growth, yield, nutrient uptake, and dynamics of microorganism population. The results showed that three level nutrient concentration with inoculation of AMF and/or consortium PGPR+AMF greatly changed the leaf anatomical traits, linked to increasing leaf thickness and leaf area that was positively correlated with increasing of plant fresh biomass. Three level nutrient concentration with inoculation of AMF and/or consortium PGPR+AMF also increased root colonization, and macronutrient uptake, but decreasing population of rhizospheric bacterial. That phenomenon was also has positively correlated with increasing of plant fresh biomass. In crux, the result of this study showed that nutrient concentration with EC 0.9-1.8 dS m^-1 combined with inoculation of AMF and/or consortium PGPR+AMF may be recommended for production or cultivation of romaine lettuce, particularly using hydroponic substrate culture systems. Though with the consequence that reducing 50% nutrient concentration from EC value 1.8 to 0.9 dS m^-1 take 14 days more to achieve minimum harvest fresh weight.