Effectiveness of eco-friendly arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi biofertilizer and bacterial feather hydrolysate in promoting growth of Vicia faba in sandy soil

The current study purposed to improve vegetative growth, nodules formation and biological dinitrogen fixation of Vicia faba L. (faba bean) grown in sandy soil by inoculation with bacterial feather hydrolysate fertilizer (BFH) and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF). A potent feather-degrading bacterium was isolated from chicken feathers and molecular identified as Bacillus licheniformis ASU (Accession number KF446641). Two different native AMF were recovered from the sandy soil and identified as Acaulospora bireticulata and Glomus caesaris. Bacillus licheniformis has the capability to degrade the chicken feathers efficiently. Furthermore, it can solubilize tricalcium phosphate and produce ammonia and IAA (indole acetic acid). Faba bean seeds were grown in pot experiments containing sandy soil inoculated with AMF or BFH individually or in combination. The application of AMF and BFH in combination significantly increased nodule formation and N2-fixation. The total dry biomass of plants co-inoculated with AMF and BFH was increased significantly compared with non-inoculated plants. So, the combination with AMF and BFH has the potential to be developed as a useful biofertilizer in future. This paper is expected to afford a competitive economic outcome for sustainable cropping systems.