Enhancing Moringa Stenopetala L. Establishment and Adaptation with Rhizobacteria at High Altitude Hadiya Zone, Central Ethiopia

Moringa stenopetala , vital for nutrition in East Africa, faces climate-driven habitat shifts. This necessitating ecofriendly rhizobacterial inoculation to enhance its highland establishment and stress tolerance. This study evaluated the role of rhizobacteria in the adaptation and establishment of M. stenopetala to highland conditions. Potential rhizobacteria previously isolated and tested under greenhouse and field trial by the researcher were used for this study. Moringa seedlings inoculated with single, consortia, and without inoculation was assessed. The survival rate of moringa at the end of the field trial was calculated. All the treatments were done in triplicate. The highest seed germination percentage (92.86%) was observed in a combined treatment (T11). Microbial inoculation showed a seed germination bioassay with a mean difference of 2.5–6.5. The highest records of root and shoot lengths and shoot and root dry weights were obtained with soil inoculation with mixed cultures, giving 19.75 and 88.15 cm/plant, respectively, and 10.32 and 19.78 g/plant, respectively. An integrated treatment displayed the best growth effect on the stem height (91.42 cm) and the stem diameter (0.97 cm). Moringa had a 73% survival rate in mixed microbial inoculation at the sixth month, compared to 57% in FB-49. Greenhouse and field trials have proved that phytobeneficial microbes can be used as inoculum with specific benefits and can also be successful in many environmental soil conditions. Therefore, compared to the single and un-inoculated control, using eco-friendly rhizobacteria inoculums is the optimum method for boosting the M. stenopetala survival rate.