New management practices are needed to help improve the inoculation efficiency of plant growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB). The use of silicon (Si) combined with PGPB can be a useful and sustainable strategy to enhance cereal development under tropical conditions. This research was developed to investigate inoculation methods with Azospirillum brasilense combined with Si application as a soil amendment in corn. The effects of Si application and A. brasilense inoculation on plant development and yield were tested on corn for two consecutive years. The study was set up in a Rhodic Hapludox under a no-till system in a completely randomized block design with four replicates. Treatments were tested in a full factorial design (triple factorial 4 × 2 × 2) and included (i) 4 inoculation methods (control, seed, in-furrow, and leaf), (ii) two lime sources (calcium and magnesium silicate and dolomitic limestone), and (iii) two study years (2015/2016 and 2016/2017). Our results showed that seed and in-furrow inoculation were more effective in promoting corn development and greater yield, with an increase of 10.6 and 7.3% in corn grain yield, respectively. Silicate application combined with seed inoculation increased shoot N uptake and root biomass. Also, Si application increased leaf chlorophyll index, stem diameter, and had similar effects on soil properties compared with limestone. Our results showed positive effects on corn growth and productivity as a result of inoculation, while the potential benefits of Si use were less evident.

中文翻译：

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巴西固氮螺菌接种及施硅对玉米产量反应的研究

需要新的管理实践来帮助提高植物生长促进细菌 (PGPB) 的接种效率。将硅 (Si) 与 PGPB 结合使用可以成为在热带条件下促进谷物发育的有用且可持续的策略。本研究旨在研究巴西固螺菌的接种方法，并结合 Si 施用作为玉米土壤改良剂。连续两年在玉米上测试了施硅和接种巴西曲霉对植物发育和产量的影响。该研究在免耕系统下的 Rhodic Hapludox 中建立，采用完全随机区组设计，具有四个重复。在全因子设计（三重因子 4 × 2 × 2）中测试处理，包括（i）4 种接种方法（对照、种子、犁沟和叶），(ii) 两种石灰来源（硅酸钙和镁以及白云质石灰石），以及 (iii) 两个研究年份（2015/2016 和 2016/2017）。我们的研究结果表明，种子和沟内接种对促进玉米发育和提高产量更有效，玉米粒产量分别增加了 10.6% 和 7.3%。硅酸盐施用结合种子接种增加了地上部氮吸收和根生物量。此外，与石灰石相比，Si 施用增加了叶绿素指数、茎直径，并且对土壤性质具有相似的影响。我们的结果表明，接种对玉米生长和生产力产生了积极影响，而使用硅的潜在好处则不太明显。我们的研究结果表明，种子和沟内接种对促进玉米发育和提高产量更有效，玉米粒产量分别增加了 10.6% 和 7.3%。硅酸盐施用结合种子接种增加了地上部氮吸收和根生物量。此外，与石灰石相比，Si 施用增加了叶绿素指数、茎直径，并且对土壤性质具有相似的影响。我们的结果表明，接种对玉米生长和生产力产生了积极影响，而使用硅的潜在好处则不太明显。我们的研究结果表明，种子和沟内接种对促进玉米发育和提高产量更有效，玉米粒产量分别增加了 10.6% 和 7.3%。硅酸盐施用结合种子接种增加了地上部氮吸收和根生物量。此外，与石灰石相比，Si 施用增加了叶绿素指数、茎直径，并且对土壤性质具有相似的影响。我们的结果表明，接种对玉米生长和生产力产生了积极影响，而使用硅的潜在好处则不太明显。与石灰石相比，Si 施用增加了叶绿素指数、茎直径，并且对土壤性质有相似的影响。我们的结果表明，接种对玉米生长和生产力产生了积极影响，而使用硅的潜在好处则不太明显。与石灰石相比，Si 施用增加了叶绿素指数、茎直径，并且对土壤性质有相似的影响。我们的结果表明，接种对玉米生长和生产力产生了积极影响，而使用硅的潜在好处则不太明显。