Agrobiotechnology in Turfgrass - Rhizosphere and PGPR

Agri-biotechnology in turf is the present. Conventional agriculture is being cut back every day, so greenkeepers are looking for alternatives to achieve the same results as with traditional products.

Before elaborating on the impact of the Plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria o PGPRIn addition, it is necessary to talk about the Rhizosphere.

The impact of the agrobiotechnology occurs mainly in the rhizosphere. The rhizosphere is the volume of soil that can be colonised by roots. It is an area that changes with the crop cycle and has a very intense biota.

This impact is produced by the Plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria o PGPR. These organisms are able to enter into a symbiotic relationship with the roots that colonises and stimulates plant growth mechanisms.

Many different bacteria are considered PGPR and each has different qualities.

These mechanisms can be divided into two main parts:

• Indirect mechanisms

PGPRs have the ability to exude various biocontrol substances. These exudations can be fungicides, bactericides, insecticides or nematicides. In addition to others that stimulate mechanisms to stimulate the plant's defence mechanisms.

• Direct mechanisms

Direct mechanisms are those that influence plant metabolism and access to nutrients. Some bacteria can fix nitrogen, solubilise potassium or phosphorus into assimilable forms. They can facilitate nutrient uptake, chelate iron, reduce the impact of heavy metals or produce phytohormones.

There are very advanced and inexpensive analyses that very accurately define the microbiological status of the rhizosphere such as our Analysis of micro-organisms.

The influence of PGPRs depends on their balance, the density of bacterial populations or their combination.

There are a multitude of products available that stimulate the populations of PGPR. In order to find out whether soil effects are occurring in an analytical way, soil analyses can be carried out by Micro-organisms is an excellent way to check whether these applications are having the desired effect.

In short, it will soon no longer be possible to use aggressive products that destabilise the soil by eliminating the disease that caused the problem. In the near future, microbiological populations will have to be cared for in the same way as plants are cared for. The key to success will be to have a balanced soil that does not allow a bacterium, fungus or nematode to have an unbalancing presence that allows the disease to develop.

In the middle ground lies virtue.