Summary
This greenhouse trial investigated whether inoculating vegetable seedlings with three Azospirillum brasilense strains could enhance their growth when fertilized with fish effluent from aquaculture systems. All three strains promoted root development and endogenous IAA production across tomato, lettuce and cucumber; strain-specific benefits were also observed, including increased biomass, leaf development and enzyme activity. The authors conclude that A. brasilense could be integrated into aquaponics systems to maximize nutrient recovery from fish effluent, with minimal disruption to the existing bacterial community.
Regional applicability
The study was conducted in a greenhouse under controlled conditions with no geographic descriptor provided in the abstract. The findings would be transferable to United Kingdom aquaponics and horticultural operations seeking sustainable nutrient recycling strategies, though performance may vary with UK climate conditions and local fish effluent composition.
Key measures
Root length, endogenous indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), leaf size, dry plant biomass, protein content, plant height, stem diameter, leaf number, fresh plant biomass, peroxidase enzyme activity, chlorophyll content, total phosphorus content, root biomass
Outcomes reported
The study evaluated how three Azospirillum brasilense strains affected growth of tomato, lettuce and cucumber seedlings fertilized with fish effluent, measuring root length, plant height, biomass, protein content, enzyme activity and nutrient uptake. Inoculation with A. brasilense strains increased multiple growth parameters across all three vegetable species.
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