Application of biofertilizer and indigenous Beauveria bassiana Vuillemin on growth, resistant and production of rice (Oryza sativa L.)

Abstract

Rice (Oryza sativa L.) is the most important food crop in Indonesia. Increased rice production can be achieved if fertilization and pest control are carried out. The growth and production of rice plants will also be optimal if rice plants are healthy, and the intensity of pest attacks is controlled. The research was conducted by combining the application of biofertilizer and indigenous entomopathogenic fungi Beauveria bassiana to support the growth and production of environment-friendly plants so that it is expected to minimize the use of inorganic fertilizers and chemical pesticides. The research aimed to determine the effect of the application of biofertilizer and indigenous B. bassiana on the growth, resistance, and production of rice plants and their interaction. This research was experimentally arranged according to a factorial completely randomized design with two factors. The first factor was the timing of biofertilizer application consisting of 4 times, namely: no applications of biofertilizer, one application at 14 days after planting (DAP), two applications at 14 DAP and 28 DAP, and three applications at 14 DAP, 28 DAP, and 42 DAP. The application of biofertilizer was carried out by watering it into the rice planting soil using a 10 mL container. The second factor was the timing of indigenous B. bassiana application consisting of 4 times, namely: no applications of indigenous B. bassiana, one application at 14 DAP, two applications at 14 DAP and 28 DAP, and three applications at 14 DAP, 28 DAP, and 42 DAP. Application of indigenous B. bassiana was done by watering it on rice plants until the plants become wet (at 50 mL for the first, at 100 mL for the second, and at 150 mL for the third watering). The results showed that there was no interaction between the application of biofertilizers and indigenous B. bassiana in each observation. The application of biofertilizer had a significant effect on plant height, maximum number of tillers, and number of productive tillers (P < 0.05). The application of indigenous B. bassiana had a significant effect on the intensity of pest attack (P < 0.05). The combination of the application of biofertilizer two times and indigenous B. bassiana two times could be able to provide good grain yields, but the combination of three times biofertilizer and three times indigenous B. bassiana tended to give better results in all observations, especially in the production of rice plants, because production can determine the success of the cultivation.