Journal of Global Agriculture and Ecology

The persistent use of agrochemicals for tomato production in Nigeria is associated with high cost and adverse effect on health and the environment. This study investigated the potentials of indigenous soil bacteria that can serve as biofertilizers in tomato cultivation. Bacteria were isolated and identified from the rhizosphere, root tissue and non-rhizosphere of three varieties (Roma Vf, Beske and Ibadan local) of tomato plant. Isolates were screened for plant growth-promoting abilities in-vitro and in a green house. Bacterial isolates that exhibited higher growth-promoting ability were characterized using 16S rRNA genes. Four isolates of the genera Bacillus, Pseudomonas, Klebsiella and Citrobacter were outstanding in in-vitro assays for phosphate solubilisation, ammonia, hydrogen cyanide and indole acetic acid production. The green house germination experiment showed a significant enhancement (P< 0.05) in the growth attributes (seedling height, stem girth, number of leaves and leaf area) after four weeks of planting with Bacillus (24.7 cm, 1.3 cm, 25.3, 3.9 cm²) and Pseudomonas (22.7 cm, 1.2 cm, 24.0, 3.7 cm²) inducing the largest effect. Hence, the need for further investigation on other qualifying parameters.