Amaranth viridis Linn. (amaranth), commonly referred to as Callaloo, is highly nutritious, drought tolerant, and require few inputs to grow. Amaranth is also known to have pharmacological properties. However, this crop is susceptible to pest damage, which hinders the crops growth, development, and marketable yield. Plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) are naturally occurring soil microorganisms that live in the rhizosphere, aggressively colonize plant roots, and provide many benefits to plants. PGPR can promote plant growth, improve plant tolerance to biotic and abiotic stresses, increase nutrient and water uptake, and cause induced systematic resistance. This study was conducted to investigated the application of PGPR on yield and development of amaranth grown in a growth chamber and greenhouse. The study was conducted at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore Agricultural Experiment Station in a complete randomized design with four treatments (T1: Control, T2: Strand 209 (single strand), T3: Blend 5 (double strand), T4: Blend 8 (triple strand)), and six replications in the growth chamber study and nine replications in the greenhouse studies. One growth chamber study (duration for 5 weeks) and three greenhouse studies (summer 2022, fall 2022, and summer 2023) were conducted for ten weeks. Amaranth shoots grown in the greenhouse were harvested biweekly, and fresh weight and dry weight were measured. In both PGPR studies, height data and chlorophyll content were collected weekly, and fresh and dry weight of the whole plant (shoots and roots) were collected at the final harvest. Blend 5 was shown to significantly increase shoot growth when compared to the other treatments in the growth chamber study. In the 2022 summer greenhouse, Strand 209 and Blend 8 significantly increased root biomass, while Blend 5 significantly increased fresh weight of the whole plant. In the 2023 summer study, Strand 209 was significantly higher in average shoot dry weight and whole plant fresh weight when compared to the other treatments. The results of both studies showed that the application of PGPR increased amaranth growth and development. Future studies will evaluate the effects of the PGPR on systemic resistance of amaranth against the pigweed beetle.
