Application of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens Liquid Fertilizer on Tea Bushes

  Objective  Effects of a bacterial liquid fertilizer on the yield and quality of tea bushes as well as the fertility of soil at the plantation were studied.

  Methods  The Tieguanyin bushes in a plot at a tea plantation were fertilized with W208YF, a Bacillus amyloliquefaciens liquid fertilizer, to compare with water as control (CK) for the experimentation. The treatment group was applied at a rate of 100 L·hm⁻² with 4.00×10⁶ cfu·mL⁻¹ concentration of W208YF. Tea yield and quality at harvest and fertility and microbial diversity of the plantation soil were determined.

  Results  The yield, water extracts, and free amino acids of the tea from the treatment group were significantly higher than those of CK. Specifically, the yield increased 11.10%, the water soluble 10.60%, and the free amino acid content 8.10% over CK. On the other hand, the caffeine of W208YF-fertilized tea was significantly lower by 24.30% than that of CK. The fertility (i.e., total nitrogen, alkali nitrogen, available phosphorus, available potassium, organic matters, and humic acid), microbial diversity Shannon and Simpson indices, and β diversity of the fertilized soil were significantly increased as compared with CK.

  Conclusion  Application of W208YF liquid fertilizer significantly improved the tea yield and quality as well as the plantation soil fertility and microbial diversity.