Impact of bacteria with biofertilizing potentials and water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) compost on plant growth parameters

Impact of bacteria with biofertilizing potentials and water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) compost on plant growth parameters | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article Impact of bacteria with biofertilizing potentials and water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) compost on plant growth parameters Roseline Ngozi Akwukwaegbu, Peter Ikechukwu Akwukwaegbu, Herbert Okechukwu Stanley, and 2 more This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-7646899/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Published Journal Publication published 02 Mar, 2026 Read the published version in Bulletin of the National Research Centre → Version 1 posted 9 You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Background The purpose of this study is to analyze the impact of bacteria with biofertilizing potential from forest environment and water hyacinth ( Eichhornia crassipes ) compost on plant growth parameters. Soil was collected from selected forests in (Etche, Ogbogoro and Choba) from various soil horizons (0–15, 15–30 and 30–45 cm) depth. Soils parameters (bacteria count and physicochemical properties) were analysed, afterwards soils from different depth were pooled together for further analysis. Soil samples from the three forests were equally mixed to form a single soil in the ratio of 1:1:1 and used to make five treatments as follow: only mixed soil (control), 2 kg of soil + 0.1 kg microbial inoculant (MI), 2 kg of soil + 0.1 kg Water Hyacinth Compost (WHC), 2 kg of soil + 0.1 kg MI + 0.1 kg WHC, and 2 kg of soil + 0.1 kg chemical fertilizer Nitrogen Phosphorus and Potassium (NPK: 20-10-10). The efficacy of the bacterial inoculant and WHC product, were tested on 3 different plants ( Abelmoschus esculentus, Zea mays and Cucurbita pepo ) in different experimental set up. Results Results of the microbial count ranged from 26.00 ± 4.50 x 10 8 to 100.66 ± 2.07x10 9 cfu/g for the Total Heterotrophic Bacteria (THB), Phosphate Solubilizing Bacteria (PSB) and Nitrogen Fixing Bacteria (NFB). Pseudomonas sp and Bacillus sp were the abundant PSM and NFB isolated from the soil. There was an overall increase in the growth of the plant species as indicated in their shoots, leaves area, total chlorophyll content, germination rate, height, yield and rate of nutrients absorption after 60 days of planting with the best performance recorded in the treatment with combination of MI + WHC. Also, the content of indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) and gibberellin A 4 (GA 4 ) in shoots and leaves of crops was higher in soil treated with combination of MI + WHC than other treatments. Conclusion These studies have shown that biofertilizer should be adopted in crop production to increase agricultural growth performance and reduce dependency on chemical fertilizers. Biofertilizers Soil horizons Growth performance Forests Water Hyacinth Plant hormones Figures Figure 1 Figure 2 Introduction Forests are sizable tract of agricultural land that has been left untouched for several decades and is covered with trees and plants. A region of earth with a substantial tree coverage or a sizable tract of land covered with trees that serves as a habitat for untamed creatures is another way to describe it. Every forest is either man-made or indigenous, whereas constructed forests are engineered and maintained by humans, forests in nature grow naturally. Trees are the predominant life type in this intricate biological ecosystem. Forests have a lot of lateral division and are one of the planet's complicated environments. Since the advent of agricultural renaissance methods, farming today has become increasingly reliant on an ongoing source of artificial inputs, mostly nutrients. Nevertheless, the overuse and disproportion of such artificial ingredients has been observed to have negative impacts. The detrimental impacts that are being shown progressively include seeping out; this will leads to high death rates in aquatic organisms and drastically lowering quality of aquatic environment, eliminating beneficial insects and microorganisms, and increasing crop susceptibility to disease attacks. Considering previously described negative impacts of chemical-based fertilizers, biological fertilizers and other substitutes are now required (Britannica et al. 2019). Biofertilizers are inexpensive, efficient, and environmentally benign agricultural products that improve plant growth, output, and soil health, they have been fervently promoted as the best alternative to chemical fertilizer use (Ammar et al. 2023 ). It is widely acknowledged as a crucial part of the integrated nutrient supply management system and has the potential to increase crop yields by using more ecologically friendly fertilizer sources. By releasing growth-promoting hormones and converting complicated nutrients into simple nutrients that plants can use, biofertilizers increase root proliferation (Ammar et al. 2023 ). Although they are free of any residues of toxic or dangerous substances, they aid in mitigating the negative impacts of chemical fertilizers. They are also reasonably priced, environmentally beneficial and save to use. Chemical fertilizers must be applied to crops on a regular basis to replace the nutrients lost during crop growth, while biofertilizers provide nutrients continuously all through the plant development in the field under favorable conditions. Continuous application of chemical fertilizers degrades agricultural activities, while the application of biofertilizers improves soil structure and crop product quality, increases agricultural produces by 22–32%, and replaces inorganic by 27%. According to Gyaneshwar et al. (2002), additional application of inorganic fertilizers in excess cause plant death whereas biofertilizers have no negative effects. According to Kumar et al. ( 2017 ), the realization of the negative environmental impacts caused by the overuse and incorrect utilization of chemical fertilizers has led to a recent surge in interest in the development and implementation of microbial-based fertilizers. Through biological processes like stabilization of nitrogen, phosphate in the solubilization, excretion of substances that promote plant growth, and biodegradation in soil, various species of microorganisms may transfer economically essential compounds from non-useful to feasible forms, resulting in biofertilizers. They are live microbial inoculants that include fungi, bacteria, or algae individually. This resulted from the immense efforts to identify and select strains of bacteria that have the ability to support plant growth, as well as from a greater knowledge of the relationships that occur in the roots between plant tissue and soil microbes. Microorganisms from the soil have long been used in crop cultivation. The recycling of nutrients, especially carbon into the atmosphere, nitrogen, phosphorus, and sulphur, is strongly associated with bacteria, the primary class of microorganisms that keep soils healthy (Thornbro 2022 ). The provision of nutrients to crops, promotion of crop development and enhancement of soil structure and quality are some of the primary roles of bacteria in the soil. Bacteria like Pseudomonas species ) are among the microorganisms utilized as biofertilizers (Seenivasagan et al. 2021). Biological nitrogen fixation (BNF), phytohormone synthesis, environmental stress alleviation, synergism with other microbial-plant interactions, inhibition of plant ethylene synthesis, increased availability of nutrients such as phosphorus, iron, and minor elements, and growth enhancement by volatile compounds are some of the microbial mechanisms of plant growth promotion (Ammar et al. 2023 ). Nevertheless, the manifestation of such bacterial activity in a lab setting does not ensure a symbiotic or reciprocal relationship with a host plant. This is particularly true for nitrogen fixation, which is widely expressed by a variety of bacterial and fungal species in culture medium polluted soils; beneficial microorganisms can also be employed for supplementation of soil nutrients (Atuchin et al. 2023 ). Methods Study mapped area Etche community is between latitudes 4° 04' 5" North and 5° 01' 7" North and longitudes 6° 05' 5" East and 7° 01' 7" East in the north eastern region, of Nigeria. Obio-Akpor is a local government area located in Rivers State, Nigeria, in the city of Port Harcourt; Ogbogoro community is a neighborhood in the Greater Port Harcourt City area of Rivers State, Nigeria; while Choba is located at coordinates 4° 89' 07'' North, 6° 90’ 34’’ East with a total size of roughly 23.65 square kilometres (Fig. 1 ). Insert Fig. 1 here please Sample collection Soil samples were collected randomly at three different depths (0–15, 15–30 and 30-45cm) from the various forests (Etche, Ogbogoro, and Choba) in Rivers state and Agricultural soil from the Department of Crop and Soil Science, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Port Harcourt as control with a soil Auger. The Soil Auger used was cleaned with ethanol after each collection to reduce contamination between samples. Each of the soil samples was mixed to form a composite sample and was sent in sterile containers and transported to the laboratory for further analysis within 24 hours. Sieving through a 5 mm mesh size sieve of the sample was done and they were stored at 4 o C for DNA analysis and others for physicochemical, soil composition and microbiological analysis. This was done according to the method of Abu et al. ( 2024 ). Plant samples: okra ( Abelmoschus esculentus) , maize (Zea mays) and pumpkin seeds (Cucurbita pepo) were purchased from River State Agricultural development Program (RSADP). Water hyacinth plant was gotten from new Calabar River at Choba. Samples collected from these areas include soil from different soil horizons. Sampling points were georeferenced (coordinates were taken using a GPS device). Samples were brought to the laboratory for analysis at the conclusion of the sampling process. Physicochemical analysis of soil and biofertilizer samples A portable, handheld, pH meter was used to potentiometrically measure the samples' pH according to Zhao et al. ( 2020 ); soil total nitrogen was analysed in compliance with ecological laws (LY/T 1237–1999 and LY/T 1228–2015); electrical conductivity was measured by dipping the electrode into the sample in the beaker and allowing the figures on the conductivity meter screen to stabilize before taking the conductivity reading (Zhao et al. 2020 ); total organic carbon was determined according to method by Allen 2019 ); nitrate and total nitrogen were determined following distillation method (Allen 2019 ); soil phosphate was measured using thermospectronic spectrophotometer; while soil potassium was analyzed following the digestion of HF-HClO 4 -HNO 3 . Microbiological Analysis of Soil Samples Preparation of soil sample To remove the organism from the soil particles, one gram (1g) of each soil sample was aseptically added to a separate test tube that contained nine milliliters of normal saline and shaken. To achieve varying dilutions up to 10 − 5 , 1 ml of each suspension was then serially added to 9 ml diluents. In duplicate, aliquots of the diluted soil suspension were transferred on mineral salt agar, nutrient agar, Pikovskaya (PVK) agar and Jensen’s Media agar, Enumeration of heterotrophic bacteria Nutrient agar was plated with duplicate aliquots (0.1 ml) of serially diluted soil sample using spread plate techniques. The plates were then incubated at 37°C for 24 hours. After incubation, the colonies were counted to measure the number of colony forming units (CFU) per gram of soil sample. Discrete colonies were chosen and then sub cultured (Hema et al. 2017 ). Screening for phosphate solubilizing bacteria Each sample had about 2g of dirt removed from its source and placed in sterile tubes with 2 ml of sterile deionized (DI) water. After carefully vortexing each test tube, 100 µl of each 10-fold dilution was made down to 10 − 9 . The dilutions were then plated onto nutrient agar, and later cultured in both Pikovskaya (PVK) and Jensen’s media agar plates (Pikovskaya, 1948). Ten 10 glucose, 0.2 of yeast extract, 0.2 of (NH 4 ) 2 SO 4 , 0.1 MgSO 4 .7H 2 0, Ca(PO 4 ), 0.2 KCl, 0.002 MnSO 4 .2H 2 0, 0.002 FeSO 4 .7H 2 0, and 15 agar were all present in the PVK medium (in g L − 1 ). To get rid of the soluble phosphate impurities, the insoluble Ca(PO 4 ) was centrifuged after being cleaned with diluted water. The wet Ca(PO 4 ) was dried using a vacuum-flask device, and the supernatant was disposed of. The total number of rhizospheric bacteria in each plant sample was calculated from the colonies that developed on the Jensens media agar plates. In the PVK agar plates, the colonies that generated clearing zones were separated. For a more thorough examination of clearing zone creation, individual colonies from the isolation were subsequently cultivated onto fresh PVK plates. For a maximum of 3 days, all plates were incubated at 30°C (Hema et al. 2017 ). Screening for nitrogen fixing abilities Five milliliter of Jensens media were used to inoculate the 48-hour-old cultures. The incubation period was 48 hours. 50 ml of semi-solid medium was inoculated with 1ml of this Jensens media. It was then incubated for fifteen days. Nitrogen estimate was performed using 10 ml of this culture and the conventional Jensens approach (Hema et al. 2017 ). Experimental design According to Vincent-Akpu et al. ( 2024 ), the various soil treatments were loaded in pot according to pot experimentation procedure we have the following experimental set up. The soil samples from the various forests depth were mixed to form a single soil in the ratio of 1:1:1 and used to make five treatments as follow: Only mixed soil (control) 2 kg of Soil + 0.1kg Microbial inoculant 2 kg of Soil + 0.1kg Water Hyacinth Compost 2 kg of Soil + 0.1kg Microbial inoculant + 0.1kg Water Hyacinth Compost 2 kg of Soil + 0.1kg Nitrogen Phosphorus and Potassium (NPK) Analysis of Crop Growth Parameters Seed variable test Using the "flotation method" in seed processing, which is essentially a straightforward technique to test seed viability by using their density difference in water, viable, heavier seeds sink to the bottom while less viable, lighter seeds float to the top. This allows for the separation and selection of high-quality seeds for planting. Pot culture Experiment Zea mays maize, Abelmoschus esculentus okro and Cucurbita pepo pumpkin seeds were grown in a pot culture experiment to test the effectiveness of the treatments (MS = Mixed soil, MI = Microbial Inoculant, WHC = Water Hyacinth Compost, NPK = Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Potassium Fertilizer). To determine whether the various prepared treatments improved plant growth, they were utilized in combination and ratio. The experiment was set up using several treatments. Plants were used in each treatment, and the entire procedure was repeated numerous times. Sterile distilled water was used to revive 0.1kilogram of the substrate, which was subsequently combined with 0.1kilogram of the different substrate in an aseptic setting. The seeds were planted straight into their containers. Forest mixed soil weighing 0.2 kg was placed in each pot. For 60 days with various treatments the plants' phenotypic characteristics are measured every five days. At the Green house across from the Basic Science building, the plants were housed in a poly house with a humidity level between 70 and 80%. The green house's temperature fluctuates based on local conditions and is not controlled (max: 32ºC, min: 15ºC) (Akintokun et al. 2019 ). Determination of Shoot length We experimented with a method called mid-line tracking, which counts the number of points on the stem to determine shoot length. However, we found that the stem was often invisible during the plant's early growth stage when the shoot was quite short. Furthermore, the plant's shoot system may curve under natural circumstances, therefore a precise estimate of the actual shoot length using meter rule was equally done. Determination of plant height This was done with meter rule measuring from the base of the crop to the top in cm according to Krzynanowski et al. (2020). Determination of Leaves area After, rule was used to measure the width, (at the widest point) of the lead and length from the lead apex. The readings of three leaves were taken (both width and length). The leaf area was as follows: (L×W) + 1.66 Where leaf = L = length of leaf, W = width of leaf. 1.66 = constant (Suma and Srimathi 2014). Determination of Leaf chlorophyll contents Contents of leaf chlorophyll (mg.100g − 1 fresh weight): A representative fresh leaf sample from the middle of the shoots was collected in order to perform a calorimetric study of the chlorophyll content. The manufacturer's instructions were followed when calibrating the equipment. Five plants or replications of each species were then selected at random to determine the first ten mature leaves. Ten SPAD-502 measurements on average were used to determine each leaf (Konica Minolta Sensing, Inc., Sakai, Osaka, Japan). It measured the transmittance of leaves in the infrared (940 nm) and red (650 nm) portions of the electromagnetic spectrum. The transmittance measurements were converted into a relative SPAD-502 meter value (from 0 to 99), which was proportionate to the sample's chlorophyll concentration (Soil Plant Analysis Development (SPAD) Markwell et al. 1995 ). Determination of Germination rate (%) To measure the germination rate with fluorescent lighting, four replicates of one hundred seeds were planted in sand medium and maintained at room temperature and relative humidity. The normal seedlings were counted after the seven-day test period, and the mean values were translated into a percentage of the total number of seeds planted for germination (Suma and Srimathi 2014). Determination of yield For calculation of crop yield, 16 samples each of maize cobs, okra pods and pumpkin leaves were picked randomly. The respective crops after topped by hand were taken to the laboratory in rice bag well-perforated for air movement. Soil particles and other debris were carefully removed prior to weighing on a weighing balance to avoid error in calculation. The total weight obtained in kg was noted and utilized for the calculation of crop yield which was expressed in tonnes per hectare (t ha − 1 ). Molecular Identification The National Institute for Medical Research (NIMR) Molecular Biology Laboratory in Yaba, Lagos, Nigeria, performed DNA extractions, PCR amplification of the partial bacterial 16S rRNA genes, and gel electrophoresis of the isolates. The European Genome and Diagnostics Centre, GATC Biotech AG, Jakob Stadier-Platz 7, 78467 Constance, Germany, received the PCR products for 16S rRNA sequencing. Following the manufacturer's instructions, a QIAGEN QIAamp DNA extraction kit was used to extract DNA directly from the samples. The PCR amplification of the partial 16S rRNA genes was carried out using the primer set 27F-5′-AGA GTTTG ATYMTGG CTC AG-3′, and 515R 5′-TACCGCGGCKG CTGGCA C-3′. The procedure outlined by Ezebuiro et al. ( 2015 ) was followed for conducting the reaction. The reaction mixture was made up of 20 microliters of 1× PCR buffer (Solis Biodyne), 1.5 mM magnesium chloride (Solis Biodyne), 0.2 mM of each dNTP (Solis Biodyne), 2 U Taq DNA Polymerase (Solis Biodyne), 20 pMol of each primer, and sterile water. The following cycling conditions were used for doing PCR in an Eppendorf Nexus heat cycler: a 5-minute initial denaturation step at 95°C, 30 cycles of denaturation at 95°C for 30 s, annealing at 55°C for 45s, and extension at 72°C for 1 min. A final extension was then performed for 10 minutes at 72°C. Following the PCR, a 1.5% agarose gel was used to separate the PCR products. Solis Biodyne's 150 base-pair (bp) DNA ladder was employed as a measure of DNA molecular weight. The gel was examined under UV light following ethidium bromide staining, and electrophoresis was carried out at 80V for one hour and thirty minutes. Determination of Plant Hormones Purchase of hormone standards Analytical standards of four plant hormones were purchased from commercial stores as stated. Santa Cruz Biotechnology, Inc. (CA, USA) supplied gibberellin A 4 (GA 4 ), Tokyo Kasei Kogyo Co. (Tokyo, Japan) provided abscisic acid (ABA), Wako Pure Chemical Industries Ltd. (Osaka, Japan) provided indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), and Santa Cruz Biotechnology, Inc. supplied cis -Zeatin (cZ). Tochu Co. (Aichi, Japan) provided the quartz sand. Preparation of crop samples With a few minor adjustments, a previously described procedure has been used for the sample preparation and plant hormone extraction (Simura et al. 2018 ). In short, a TissueLyser II (Thermo Fisher Scientific) was used to individually homogenize the leaves, roots, and stems in liquid nitrogen. A total of one milliliter of cold 50% acetonitrile was used to extract fifty milligrams of the substance. After that, the extract was purified using an Oasis HLB cartridge (Waters) on a non-selective reversed-phase solid-phase extraction (RP-SPE). 100% methanol and ultrapure water were used to activate the column, and 50% acetonitrile was used to equilibrate it. After loading the sample onto the cartridge, the flow-through was recorded. One milliliter of 30% acetonitrile was then used to elute the target hormone residues. The flow-through and eluted fractions were combined, evaporated for three hours in a vacuum concentrator, and the dried residues were dissolved in 100 µl of 30% acetonitrile. Standard addition was used to quantify plant hormones (Cheng et al. 2017 ; Garcia-Rodrıguez et al. 2014 ). Standard solutions were fortified with samples at concentrations ranging from 1.0 ng/ml to 250.0 ng/ml. To create matrix calibration curves in the range of 1.0 ng/ml to 250.0 ng/ml to equalize matrix effects among samples, actual samples were diluted (dilution factor 1.05). The same matrix was used to create calibration curves for every phytohormone for every analyte. The peak areas of A and B were then used to calculate matrix effects (ME = A—B/A*100), where A was recognized as an analyte peak area in a standard solution and B as an analyte peak area in a matrix (Zhou, Yang and Wang 2017 ). The sample was analyzed in advance, and the peak area of an analyte derived from the sample was subtracted from B. By comparing the peak areas of each phytohormone found in the sample spiked before SPE and the sample spiked after SPE, the recovery rate was determined. The signal-to-noise ratios of 3:1 and 10:1 were used to define the limits of detection (LOD) and quantification (LOQ), respectively. Measurement of plant hormones Ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled with high resolution mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) was used to analyze plant hormones. Purified extracts were separated, in short, using a linear methanol gradient of 1–100% for 10 minutes at a flow rate of 0.5 ml/min and a column oven set at 40˚C on a 2.6 µm Accucore C18 LC column (150 mm × 2.1 mm) (Thermo Fisher Scientific). Using an electrospray ionization Orbitrap Q-Exactive (Thermo Fisher Scientific) connected to an UltiMate 3000 RSLC (Thermo Fisher Scientific), MS data were obtained in targeted selected ion monitoring (t-SIM) mode. Polarity, positive and negative ionization modes, spray voltages of 3.5 kV and 2.0 kV, sheath gas flow rate of 50, auxiliary gas of 10, sweep gas of 0, heated capillary temperature of 380˚C, S-lens RF level of 50, and auxiliary gas heater temperature of 350˚C were the conditions for mass spectrometry. Then, 70,000 was chosen as the resolution and 5E4 was the AGC objective. For all plant hormones, the isolation window was 10 m/z, and the maximal ion injection period was 200 ms. Data Analysis The software utilized was the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) Inc. 21.0.For physicochemical and microbiological parameters tracked over the study period, mean values (M) ± SD computed were then subjected to two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) for multiple comparison to find out whether there are any notable difference between the different soil horizons and the physicochemical properties of the soil, as well as between the different production substrates of soil amendments and plant growth. A value (P) was deemed statistically significant if it was less than 0.05. That is (P < 0.05). Results Microbial count Tables 1 and 2 showed the total heterotrophic bacterial (THB) count and total hydrocarbon utilizing bacterial (THUB) of soil bacteria in the forest soils. THB in the soil ranged from 31.0 x 10 8 − 100.66 x 10 9 cfu/g while THUB in the soil ranged from 32.00 x 10 8 – 35.20 x 10 9 cfu/g. The number of total phosphate solubilizing bacteria (PSB) and nitrogen fixing bacteria (NFB) suggest abundance with the highest population of NFB and PSB as showed in Tables 3 and 4 . THBC, THUB, PSB and NFB significantly differed (p < 0.05) in most of the soils obtained from the three forests when compared to control. Table 1 Total Heterotrophic Bacterial Count (cfu/g) (THB) Soil depth Control soil Etche forest Ogbogoro forest Choba forest 0-15cm 15-30cm 30-45cm 75.00 ± 1.30x 10 9a 51.00 ± 4.00x 10 8a 31.00 ± 2.08x 10 8a 69.33 ± 3.50x 10 8b 60.00 ± 7.50x 10 8b 43.30 ± 3.50x 10 8b 100.66 ± 2.07x 10 9c 81.00 ± 1.37x 10 9c 39.33 ± 7.09x 10 8c 68.00 ± 8.88x 10 8b 63.00 ± 8.14x 10 8b 39.66 ± 3.51x 10 8c Values are mean ± standard deviation (M ± S.D) of triplicate determinations (n = 3). Values bearing different superscript alphabets “a, b, c” across the rows differ significantly (p < 0.05). Table 2 Total Hydrocarbon Utilizing Bacterial Count (cfu/g) (THUB) Soil depth Control soil Etche forest Ogbogoro forest Choba forest 0-15cm 15-30cm 30-45cm 35.20 ± 6.08x 10 9a 44.00 ± 9.53x 10 8a 32.00 ± 1.00x 10 8a 32.33 ± 1.52x 10 8b 35.66 ± 1.15x 10 8b 33.30 ± 2.64x 10 8a 55.33 ± 5.50x 10 8c 44.33 ± 5.13x 10 8a 34.00 ± 3.60x 10 8b 43.66 ± 3.21x 10 8d 42.33 ± 2.50x 10 8c 34.66 ± 4.50x 10 8b Values are mean ± standard deviation (M ± S.D) of triplicate determinations (n = 3) Values bearing different superscript alphabets “a, b, c, d” across the rows differ significantly (p < 0.05). Table 3 Phosphate Solubilizing Bacterial Count (cfu/g) (PSB) Soil depth Control soil Etche forest Ogbogoro forest Choba forest 0-15cm 15-30cm 30-45cm 50.00 ± 4.58x 10 9a 38.00 ± 9.16x 10 8a 32.33 ± 2.08x 10 8a 34.33 ± 4.10x 10 8b 34.33 ± 4.93x 10 8b 33.30 ± 3.21x 10 8a 69.00 ± 4.35x 10 8c 38.00 ± 11.00x 10 8a 36.00 ± 2.51x 10 8b 37.33 ± 6.65x 10 8b 34.66 ± 7.23x 10 8b 32.00 ± 3.40x 10 8a Values are mean ± standard deviation (M ± S.D) of triplicate determinations (n = 3) Values bearing different superscript alphabets “a, b, c” across the rows differ significantly (p < 0.05). Table 4 Nitrogen fixing Bacterial Count (cfu/g) (NFB) Soil depth Control soil Etche forest Ogbogoro forest Choba forest 0-15cm 15-30cm 30-45cm 32.00 ± 3.50x 10 9a 30.00 ± 2.50x 10 8a 28.00 ± 2.20x 10 8a 27.10 ± 2.03x 10 8b 30.10 ± 4.93x 10 8a 23.30 ± 3.21x 10 8b 30.00 ± 5.20 x 10 8a 27.00 ± 3.50.x 10 8b 26.00 ± 4.50 x 10 8a 40.00 ± 1.00 x 10 8c 35.00 ± 5.20 x 10 8c 31.00 ± 3.30 x 10 8c Values are mean ± standard deviation (M ± S.D) of triplicate determinations (n = 3) Values bearing different superscript alphabets “a, b” across the rows differ significantly (p < 0.05) Physicochemical Properties The physicochemical analysis of the various soil samples and soil treatments (after pooling them together and after adding soil amendments) are shown in Tables 5 and 6 respectively. In Table 5 : pH of the various forest soils ranged from 5.20–7.23. For the rest of the physicochemical parameters, electrical conductivity which ranged from 104.65-121.52 µS/cm was the highest while mercury 0.01 mg/kg in all the soil samples was the least. In Table 6 which showed the physicochemical characteristics of the soils in the proportion mixture of 1:1:1 with various substrates (MS = Mixed soil, MI = Microbial Inoculant, WHC = Water Hyacinth Compost, NPK = Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Potassium Fertilizer) before and after adding the treatment: pH of all soils treatment were alkaline except soil treated with NPK fertilizer (5.80 ± 0.11); there was a significant difference (p < 0.05) in all the physicochemical parameters of soil treatments using various amendments when compared with mixed soil. Table 5 Physicochemical characteristics of the various forest soils Parameter Control soil Etche forest Ogbogoro forest Choba forest pH 7.23 ± 0.05 a 5.85 ± 0.02 b 6.58 ± 0.07 a 5.20 ± 0.11 b E/C (µs/cm) 117.46 ± 0.05 a 104.65 ± 0.02 b 108.38 ± 0.06 b 121.52 ± 0.15 c Nitrate (mg/kg) 2.70 ± 0.17 a 3.79 ± 0.58 b 3.13 ± 0.03 a 3.64 ± 0.26 b Potassium (mg/kg) 0.38 ± 0.05 a 0.74 ± 0.02 a 0.84 ± 0.05 a 1.68 ± 0.08 b Total organic carbon (%) 2.78 ± 0.11 a 3.87 ± 0.02 b 2.63 ± 0.16 a 3.80 ± 0.01 b Total organic matter (%) 3.62 ± 0.08 a 4.76 ± 0.06 b 5.45 ± 0.23 c 5.38 ± 0.08 c Phosphate Po 4 − 3 (mg/kg) 0.38 ± 0.05 a 1.24 ± 0.02 b 1.84 ± 0.05 b 1.68 ± 0.08 b Magnesium (mg/kg) 1.23 ± 0.50 a 1.90 ± 1.00 b 1.40 ± 0.50 a 1.55 ± .0.50 a Calcium(mg/kg) 0.60 ± 0.01 a 0.20 ± 0.01 a 0.20 ± 0.00 a 0.20 ± 0.00 a Sodium(mg/kg) 0.40 ± 0.01 a 0.30 ± 0.01 a 0.10 ± 0.00 a 0.20 ± 0.00 a Zinc (mg/kg) 2.54 ± 0.31 a 2.63 ± 0.06 b 1.48 ± 0.05 b 1.93 ± 0.04 a Manganese (mg/kg) 0.30 ± 0.01 a 0.60 ± 0.01 b 0.50 ± 0.00 b 0.20 ± 0.00 a Iron (mg/kg) 1.45 ± 0.12 a 2.89 ± 0.06 b 2.67 ± 0.78 b 2.23 ± 0.05 b Mercury (mg/kg) 0.01 ± 0.00 a 0.10 ± 0.00 b 0.01 ± 0.01 a 0.01 ± 0.00 a Lead (mg/g) 0.50 ± 0.21 a 0.55 ± 0.19 b 0.45 ± 0.30 b 0.70 ± 0.01 b Copper (mg/kg) 0.20 ± 0.05 a 0.10 ± 0.06 b 0.45 ± 0.50 b 0.15 ± 0.49 a Values are mean ± standard deviation (M ± S.D) of triplicate determinations (n = 3). Values bearing different superscript letters “a, b, c” are significantly different (p < 0.05) when compared to control. Table 6 Physicochemical properties of soil before and after adding the various treatments Before treatment After adding substrates Parameters MS MI WHC MI + WHC NPK pH 6.50 ± 0.02 a 8.10 ± 0.02 b 9.60 ± 0.03 b 9.90 ± 0.03 b 5.00 ± 0.03 a E/C (µs/cm) 112.00 ± 0.10 a 115.00 ± 0.10 a 113.0 ± 0.06 a 114.00 ± 0.03 a 123.00 ± 0.03 a Nitrate (mg/kg) 7.00 ± 0.01 a 25.0 ± 0.03 b 28.0 ± 0.03 b 37.0 ± 0.03 b 22.0 ± 0.03 b Potassium (mg/kg) 6.10 ± 0.03 a 20.0 ± 0.02 b 18.10 ± 0.00 b 24.20 ± 0.05 b 19.90 ± 0.05 b Total organic carbon (%) 3.50 ± 0.01 a 4.00 ± 0.01 a 6.90 ± 0.00 b 9.00 ± 0.04 c 6.30 ± 0.02 a Total organic matter (%) 3.68 ± 0.13 a 6.84 ± 0.23 b 7.15 ± 0.14 b 9.94 ± 0.26 c 5.15 ± 0.02 d Phosphate Po 4 − 3 (mg/kg) 6.20 ± 0.01 a 13.20 ± 0.02 b 16.00 ± 0.01 b 20.20 ± 0.03 b 14.50 ± 0.02 b Magnesium (mg/kg) 2.10 ± 0.03 a 2.90 ± 0.02 a 1.00 ± 0.01 a 2.30 ± 0.03 a 3.00 ± 0.02 a Calcium(mg/kg) 1.20 ± 0.03 a 8.70 ± 0.01 b 10.10 ± 0.01 b 27.30 ± 0.03 b 8.60 ± 0.02 b Sodium(mg/kg) Zinc (mg/kg) Manganese (mg/kg) 3.50 ± 0.02 a 2.10 ± 0.02 a 1.50 ± 0.02 a 3.50 ± 0.02 a 3.50 ± 0.02 a 3.00 ± 0.02 b 1.10 ± 0.01 b 3.10 ± 0.02 a 2.90 ± 0.02 b 1.10 ± 0.03 b 6.50 ± 0.02 b 5.50 ± 0.02 b 1.60 ± 0.02 b 2.50 ± 0.02 a 3.50 ± 0.02 b Iron (mg/kg) 0.50 ± 0.02 a 1.10 ± 0.00 b 0.10 ± 0.00 a 0.10 ± 0.00 a 0.10 ± 0.02 a Mercury (mg/kg) 0.10 ± 0.02 a 0.10 ± 0.00 a 0.20 ± 0.02 a 0.30 ± 0.01 a 0.10 ± 0.03 a Lead (mg/g) 0.10 ± 0.02 a 0.00 ± 0.00 b 0.00 ± 0.00 b 0.10 ± 0.05 a 0.10 ± 0.01 a Copper (mg/kg) 0.00 ± 0.00 a 0.10 ± 0.02 b 0.00 ± 0.00 a 0.10 ± 0.20 b 0.10 ± 0.02 b Keys: MS = Mixed soil MI = Microbial Inoculant, WHC = Water Hyacinth Compost, NPK = Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Potassium Fertilizer. Values bearing different superscript letters “a, b, c, d” are significantly different (p < 0.05) when compared to mixed soils. Eefect of Biofertilizers on Crop Growth Parameters Table 7 Shoot length in (cm) of plants after 60 days planting Plants CS MI WHC MI + WHC NPK Zea mays 5.20 ± 0.05 a 5.40 ± 0.07 a 7.90 ± 0.04 b 15.90 ± 0.09 c 6.40 ± 0.02 d Abelmoschus esculentus 2.90 ± 0.06 a 4.60 ± 0.03 b 6.20 ± 0.07 c 11.20 ± 0.12 d 4.90 ± 0.06 b Cucurbita pepo 3.90 ± 0.05 a 4.90 ± 0.04 b 6.70 ± 0.00 c 13.40 ± 0.03 d 6.84 ± 0.02 c Keys: CS = control soil MI = Microbial Inoculant, WHC = Water Hyacinth Compost, NPK fertilizer = Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Potassium. Values bearing different superscript alphabets “a, b, c, d” across the rows differ significantly (p < 0.05). Table 8 Leave area in (cm 2 ) of plants after 60 days planting Plants CS MI WHC MI + WHC NPK Zea mays 1122.00 ± 0.00 a 1233.00 ± 0.24 b 1222.00 ± 0.00 b 1343 ± 0.03 c 1314 ± 0.16 d Abelmoschus esculentus 1120.00 ± 0.20 a 1240.00 ± 0.22 b 1212.00 ± 1.20 c 1338 ± 0.36 d 1311 ± 2.47 d Cucurbita pepo 1152.00 ± 0.42 a 1234.00 ± 0.43 b 1312.00 ± 3.16 c 1385 ± 2.05 d 1345 ± 3.68 e Keys: CS = control soil MI = Microbial Inoculant, WHC = Water Hyacinth Compost, NPK fertilizer = Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Potassium. Values bearing different superscript alphabets “a, b, c, d, e” across the rows differ significantly (p < 0.05). Table 9 Total chlorophyll content in (mg.100g − 1 ) of plants after 60 days planting Plants CS MI WHC MI + WHC NPK Zea mays 30.36 ± 2.23 a 31.43 ± 1.55 a 33.40 ± 1.94 a 36.67 ± 1.41 b 33.23 ± 2.04 a Abelmoschus esculentus 31.34 ± 2.40 a 30.34 ± 1.48 a 31.27 ± 1.06 a 37.45 ± 1.86 b 32.24 ± 2.14 a Cucurbita pepo 30.20 ± 2.12 a 32.30 ± 1.83 b 32.10 ± 0.76 a 35.15 ± 1.35 b 34.12 ± 2.06 b Keys: CS = control soil MI = Microbial Inoculant, WHC = Water Hyacinth Compost, NPK fertilizer = Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Potassium. Values bearing different superscript alphabets “a, b” across the rows differ significantly (p < 0.05). Table 10 Germination rate in (%) of plants after 60 days planting Plants CS MI WHC MI + WHC NPK Zea mays 50.00 ± 0.00 a 60.00 ± 5.00 b 80.00 ± 4.50 c 100.00 ± 2.50 d 60.00 ± 3.50 b Abelmoschus esculentus 60.00 ± 0.00 a 50.00 ± 4.00 b 70.00 ± 2.50 c 90.00 ± 3.00 d 60.00 ± 4.00 a Cucurbita pepo 40.00 ± 0.00 a 50.00 ± 0.00 b 50.00 ± 4.00 b 95.00 ± 2.00 c 50.00 ± 2.50 b Keys: CS = control soil MI = Microbial Inoculant, WHC = Water Hyacinth Compost, NPK fertilizer = Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Potassium. Values bearing different superscript alphabets “a, b, c, d” across the rows differ significantly (p < 0.05). Table 11 Height in (cm) of plants after 60 days planting Plants CS MI WHC MI + WHC NPK Zea mays 48.00 ± 0.00 a 50.50 ± 0.45 a 58.40 ± 0.40 b 65.00 ± 0.00 c 56.00 ± 0.60 b Abelmoschus esculentus 47.80 ± 1.50 a 65.50 ± 1.00 b 68.60 ± 1.80 b 75.00 ± 0.00 c 51.00 ± 0.46 a Cucurbita pepo 40.80 ± 0.40 a 49.40 ± 0.50 b 50.10 ± 1.10 b 54.60 ± 1.40 c 51.40 ± 0.80 b Keys: CS = control soil MI = Microbial Inoculant, WHC = Water Hyacinth Compost, NPK fertilizer = Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Potassium. Values bearing different superscript alphabets “a, b, c” across the rows differ significantly (p < 0.05). Table 12 Yield in (t ha − 1 ) of plants after 60 days planting Plants CS MI WHC MI + WHC NPK Zea mays 550.00 ± 45.40 a 650.00 ± 75.60 b 825.00 ± 50.70 c 1100.00 ± 40.40 d 670.00 ± 60.50 b Abelmoschus esculentus 660.40 ± 90.00 a 720.00 ± 80.40 b 880.00 ± 70.80 c 1080.00 ± 80.60 d 730.00 ± 70.90 b Cucurbita pepo 520.60 ± 85.50 a 610.00 ± 60.90 b 625.00 ± 85.00 b 980.00 ± 70.90 c 615.20 ± 65.60 b Keys: CS = control soil MI = Microbial Inoculant, WHC = Water Hyacinth Compost, NPK fertilizer = Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Potassium. Values bearing different superscript alphabets “a, b, c, d” across the rows differ significantly (p < 0.05). Effects of Biofertilizer on Nutrient Levels Table 13 Nitrogen level in (mg/kg) of plants after 60 days planting Plants CS MI WHC MI + WHC NPK Zea mays 3.50 ± 0.60 a 14.80 ± 2.30 b 16.30 ± 2.91 b 18.20 ± 2.50 c 13.20 ± 1.72 b Abelmoschus esculentus 3.00 ± 0.70 a 9.00 ± 1.60 b 8.80 ± 0.80 b 13.20 ± 2.07 c 9.10 ± 1.60 b Cucurbita pepo 3.10 ± 0.45 a 9.00 ± 1.80 b 8.70 ± 0.66 b 13.80 ± 2.04 c 8.40 ± 0.45 b Keys: CS = control soil MI = Microbial Inoculant, WHC = Water Hyacinth Compost, NPK fertilizer = Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Potassium. Values bearing different superscript alphabets “a, b, c” across the rows differ significantly (p < 0.05). Table 14 Phosphorus level in (mg/kg) of plants after 60 days planting Plants CS MI WHC MI + WHC NPK Zea mays 3.00 ± 0.72 a 8.20 ± 0.95 b 9.10 ± 1.20 b 15.40 ± 2.42 c 8.10 ± 0.81 b Abelmoschus esculentus 3.00 ± 0.80 a 8.20 ± 1.04 b 10.30 ± 0.63 c 11.40 ± 1.17 c 7.60 ± 0.80 b Cucurbita pepo 3.00 ± 0.26 a 8.20 ± 1.45 b 9.00 ± 1.02 b 14.50 ± 1.74 c 9.15 ± 0.34 b Keys: CS = control soil MI = Microbial Inoculant, WHC = Water Hyacinth Compost, NPK fertilizer = Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Potassium. Values bearing different superscript alphabets “a, b, c” across the rows differ significantly (p < 0.05). Table 15 Potassium level in (mg/kg) of plants after 60 days planting Plants CS MI WHC MI + WHC NPK Zea mays 3.60 ± 0.88 a 9.70 ± 1.25 b 10.30 ± 2.40 b 12.40 ± 2.60 c 9.30 ± 1.42 b Abelmoschus esculentus 3.30 ± 0.75 a 9.50 ± 1.50 b 8.40 ± 1.43 b 16.30 ± 1.37 c 9.35 ± 1.30 b Cucurbita pepo 3.20 ± 0.58 a 9.85 ± 1.67 b 8.90 ± 1.52 b 13.30 ± 1.45 c 9.50 ± 0.98 b Keys: CS = control soil MI = Microbial Inoculant, WHC = Water Hyacinth Compost, NPK fertilizer = Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Potassium. Values bearing different superscript alphabets “a, b, c” across the rows differ significantly (p < 0.05). Table 16 Zinc level in (mg/kg) of plants after 60 days planting Plants CS MI WHC MI + WHC NPK Zea mays 1.20 ± 0.24 a 2.20 ± 0.85 b 1.90 ± 0.60 b 3.50 ± 0.92 c 1.50 ± 0.31 a Abelmoschus esculentus 1.00 ± 0.62 a 2.00 ± 0.44 b 1.00 ± 0.43 a 3.30 ± 0.27 c 1.20 ± 0.40 a Cucurbita pepo 1.00 ± 0.20 a 2.10 ± 0.52 b 1.30 ± 0.35 c 3.00 ± 0.54 d 1.00 ± 0.24 a Keys: CS = control soil MI = Microbial Inoculant, WHC = Water Hyacinth Compost, NPK fertilizer = Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Potassium. Values bearing different superscript alphabets “a, b, c, d” across the rows differ significantly (p < 0.05). Table 17 Manganese level in (mg/kg) of plants after 60 days planting Plants CS MI WHC MI + WHC NPK Zea mays 0.90 ± 0.32 a 1.70 ± 0.35 b 1.30 ± 0.41 c 3.00 ± 0.62 d 1.68 ± 0.54 b Abelmoschus esculentus 1.20 ± 0.43 a 1.20 ± 0.24 a 1.20 ± 0.43 a 3.00 ± 0.47 b 1.21 ± 0.30 a Cucurbita pepo 1.00 ± 0.37 a 1.10 ± 0.37 a 1.10 ± 0.22 a 2.80 ± 0.94 b 1.10 ± 0.12 a Keys: CS = control soil MI = Microbial Inoculant, WHC = Water Hyacinth Compost, NPK fertilizer = Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Potassium. Values bearing different superscript alphabets “a, b, c, d” across the rows differ significantly (p < 0.05). Molecular Characteristics of Isolates Four bacteria strains were isolated from the Genbank characteristics as shown in Table 18 while Fig. 2 reveal the 16S rRNA PCR bands from the isolates ( see supplementary file for further explanation ). Table 18 Genbank characteristics (strain, name of organism, closest GenBank, percentage identity and accession number) of the bacterial isolates S/N Strain Organisms (isolated) Closest GenBank Match Similarity (%) Accession No 1 PA4 Bacillus cereus Bacillus cereus strain JCM 2152 99.64 OR105044 2 PA6 Bacillus cereus Bacillus cereus strain IAM 12605 100 OR105045 3 PA7 Bacillus fungorum Bacillus fungorum strain 17 SMS-01 99.64 OR105046 4 PA11 Bacillus paramycoides Bacillus paramycoides strain MCC IA04098 99.64 OR105047 Please insert Fig. 2 here. Impact of Biofertilizers on Plant Hormones Table 19 Indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) in crop leaves Treatments Zea mays Abelmoschus esculentus Cucurbita pepo LOD (ng/ml) LOQ (ng/ml) Hormone conc (pmol/g FW) RSD (%) LOD (ng/ml) LOQ (ng/ml) Hormone conc (pmol/g FW) RSD (%) LOD (ng/ml) LOQ (ng/ml) Hormone conc (pmol/g FW) RSD (%) CS 0.1 0.6 95.15 ± 2.36 a 4.5 0.1 0.6 92.10 ± 4.15 a 7.3 0.1 0.6 81.20 ± 8.07 a 3.8 MI 0.4 1.8 208.50 ± 7.60 b 5.2 0.5 1.3 211.40 ± 5.20 b 3.1 0.3 1.3 158.80 ± 11.60 b 4.7 WHC 0.2 0.5 213.80 ± 6.50 b 25.6 0.3 0.4 207.30 ± 16.10 b 16.2 0.1 0.4 163.10 ± 9.30 b 12.5 MI + WHC 0.1 0.3 740.70 ± 15.20 c 28.7 0.2 0. 4 688.60 ± 23.40 c 38.6 0.1 0.5 590.40 ± 17.30 c 18.0 NPK 0.1 0.6 192.90 ± 12.42 d 7.4 0.2 0.5 209.70 ± 17.25 b 6.0 0.1 0.4 129.50 ± 8.13 d 7.2 Keys: CS = control soil MI = Microbial Inoculant, WHC = Water Hyacinth Compost, NPK fertilizer = Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Potassium, LOD = limit of detection, LOQ = limit of quantification, RSD = relative standard deviation, FW = fresh weight. Values bearing different superscript alphabets “a, b, c, d” down the columns differ significantly (p < 0.05). Table 20 Gibberellin A 4 (GA 4 ) in crop leaves Treatments Zea mays Abelmoschus esculentus Cucurbita pepo LOD (ng/ml) LOQ (ng/ml) Hormone conc (pmol/g FW) RSD (%) LOD (ng/ml) LOQ (ng/ml) Hormone conc (pmol/g FW) RSD (%) LOD (ng/ml) LOQ (ng/ml) Hormone conc (pmol/g FW) RSD (%) CS 0.1 0.6 3.26 ± 0.25 a 4.5 0.1 0.6 5.62 ± 0.83 a 7.3 0.1 0.6 4.30 ± 0.61 a 3.8 MI 0.4 1.8 3.42 ± 0.70 a 5.2 0.5 1.3 5.60 ± 0.62 a 3.1 0.3 1.3 4.34 ± 0.48 a 4.7 WHC 0.2 0.5 N.D 25.6 0.3 0.4 5.71 ± 1.50 a 16.2 0.1 0.4 4.47 ± 0.52 a 12.5 MI + WHC 0.1 0.3 8.40 ± 0.93 b 28.7 0.2 0. 4 8.94 ± 1.76 b 38.6 0.1 0.5 9.60 ± 0.41 b 18.0 NPK 0.1 0.6 3.30 ± 0.22 a 7.4 0.2 0.5 6.92 ± 1.40 c 6.0 0.1 0.4 4.31 ± 0.22 a 7.2 Keys: CS = control soil MI = Microbial Inoculant, WHC = Water Hyacinth Compost, NPK fertilizer = Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Potassium, LOD = limit of detection, LOQ = limit of quantification, RSD = relative standard deviation, FW = fresh weight., N.D = not detected. Values bearing different superscript alphabets “a, b, c” down the columns differ significantly (p < 0.05). Table 21 Abscisic acid (ABA) in crop leaves Treatments Zea mays Abelmoschus esculentus Cucurbita pepo LOD (ng/ml) LOQ (ng/ml) Hormone conc (pmol/g FW) RSD (%) LOD (ng/ml) LOQ (ng/ml) Hormone conc (pmol/g FW) RSD (%) LOD (ng/ml) LOQ (ng/ml) Hormone conc (pmol/g FW) RSD (%) CS 0.1 0.6 182.50 ± 4.11 a 4.5 0.1 0.6 177.40 ± 3.20 a 7.3 0.1 0.6 168.60 ± 5.07 a 3.8 MI 0.4 1.8 153.60 ± 5.60 b 5.2 0.5 1.3 146.94 ± 5.20 b 3.1 0.3 1.3 148.20 ± 8.60 b 4.7 WHC 0.2 0.5 147.70 ± 6.50 b 25.6 0.3 0.4 150.06 ± 6.20 b 16.2 0.1 0.4 151.30 ± 7.30 b 12.5 MI + WHC 0.1 0.3 139.90 ± 15.20 c 28.7 0.2 0. 4 132.42 ± 5.10 c 38.6 0.1 0.5 147.20 ± 6.30 b 18.0 NPK 0.1 0.6 216.80 ± 12.42 d 7.4 0.2 0.5 210.10 ± 5.15 d 6.0 0.1 0.4 199.40 ± 7.23 c 7.2 Keys: CS = control soil MI = Microbial Inoculant, WHC = Water Hyacinth Compost, NPK fertilizer = Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Potassium, LOD = limit of detection, LOQ = limit of quantification, RSD = relative standard deviation, FW = fresh weight. Values bearing different superscript alphabets “a, b, c, d” down the columns differ significantly (p < 0.05). Table 22 cis -Zeatin (cZ) in crop leaves Treatments Zea mays Abelmoschus esculentus Cucurbita pepo LOD (ng/ml) LOQ (ng/ml) Hormone conc (pmol/g FW) RSD (%) LOD (ng/ml) LOQ (ng/ml) Hormone conc (pmol/g FW) RSD (%) LOD (ng/ml) LOQ (ng/ml) Hormone conc (pmol/g FW) RSD (%) CS 0.1 0.6 79.45 ± 2.30 a 4.5 0.1 0.6 59.22 ± 2.20 a 7.3 0.1 0.6 63.61 ± 3.15 a 3.8 MI 0.4 1.8 81.43 ± 4.10 a 5.2 0.5 1.3 59.40 ± 4.33 a 3.1 0.3 1.3 62.80 ± 1.98 a 4.7 WHC 0.2 0.5 84.50 ± 2.90 a 25.6 0.3 0.4 59.10 ± 5.34 a 16.2 0.1 0.4 64.52 ± 4.20 a 12.5 MI + WHC 0.1 0.3 87.73 ± 6.20 a 28.7 0.2 0. 4 60.54 ± 3.25 a 38.6 0.1 0.5 63.70 ± 6.40 a 18.0 NPK 0.1 0.6 85.60 ± 4.55 a 7.4 0.2 0.5 58.90 ± 2.88 a 6.0 0.1 0.4 64.22 ± 2.23 a 7.2 Keys: CS = control soil MI = Microbial Inoculant, WHC = Water Hyacinth Compost, NPK fertilizer = Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Potassium, LOD = limit of detection, LOQ = limit of quantification, RSD = relative standard deviation, FW = fresh weight. There was no significant difference (p < 0.05) in the comparisons made. Table 23 Indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) in crop shoot Treatments Zea mays Abelmoschus esculentus Cucurbita pepo LOD (ng/ml) LOQ (ng/ml) Hormone conc (pmol/g FW) RSD (%) LOD (ng/ml) LOQ (ng/ml) Hormone conc (pmol/g FW) RSD (%) LOD (ng/ml) LOQ (ng/ml) Hormone conc (pmol/g FW) RSD (%) CS 0.1 0.6 98.20 ± 4.53 a 4.5 0.1 0.6 96.30 ± 8.20 a 7.3 0.1 0.6 86.44 ± 7.17 a 3.8 MI 0.4 1.8 212.30 ± 9.54 b 5.2 0.5 1.3 217.22 ± 9.35 b 3.1 0.3 1.3 152.40 ± 8.30 b 4.7 WHC 0.2 0.5 214.44 ± 10.50 b 25.6 0.3 0.4 207.60 ± 12.40 b 16.2 0.1 0.4 156.70 ± 12.42 b 12.5 MI + WHC 0.1 0.3 690.30 ± 8.95 c 28.7 0.2 0. 4 689.70 ± 9.66 c 38.6 0.1 0.5 598.78 ± 9.40 c 18.0 NPK 0.1 0.6 187.40 ± 6.92 d 7.4 0.2 0.5 211.80 ± 10.30 b 6.0 0.1 0.4 131.65 ± 7.20 d 7.2 Keys: CS = control soil MI = Microbial Inoculant, WHC = Water Hyacinth Compost, NPK fertilizer = Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Potassium, LOD = limit of detection, LOQ = limit of quantification, RSD = relative standard deviation, FW = fresh weight. Values bearing different superscript alphabets “a, b, c, d” down the columns differ significantly (p < 0.05). Table 24 Gibberellin A 4 (GA 4 ) in crop shoot Treatments Zea mays Abelmoschus esculentus Cucurbita pepo LOD (ng/ml) LOQ (ng/ml) Hormone conc (pmol/g FW) RSD (%) LOD (ng/ml) LOQ (ng/ml) Hormone conc (pmol/g FW) RSD (%) LOD (ng/ml) LOQ (ng/ml) Hormone conc (pmol/g FW) RSD (%) CS 0.1 0.6 5.17 ± 0.52 a 4.5 0.1 0.6 7.24 ± 1.27 a 7.3 0.1 0.6 6.82 ± 0.73 a 3.8 MI 0.4 1.8 5.34 ± 0.68 a 5.2 0.5 1.3 7.72 ± 0.97 a 3.1 0.3 1.3 6.88 ± 0.57 a 4.7 WHC 0.2 0.5 2.64 ± 0.83 b 25.6 0.3 0.4 7.80 ± 2.21 a 16.2 0.1 0.4 6.91 ± 0.61 a 12.5 MI + WHC 0.1 0.3 11.32 ± 0.72 c 28.7 0.2 0. 4 12.10 ± 2.15 b 38.6 0.1 0.5 12.77 ± 0.54 b 18.0 NPK 0.1 0.6 5.20 ± 0.43 a 7.4 0.2 0.5 7.81 ± 2.05 a 6.0 0.1 0.4 6.83 ± 0.34 a 7.2 Keys: CS = control soil MI = Microbial Inoculant, WHC = Water Hyacinth Compost, NPK fertilizer = Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Potassium, LOD = limit of detection, LOQ = limit of quantification, RSD = relative standard deviation, FW = fresh weight. N.D = not detected. Values bearing different superscript alphabets “a, b, c” down the columns differ significantly (p < 0.05). Table 25 Abscisic acid (ABA) in crop shoot Treatments Zea mays Abelmoschus esculentus Cucurbita pepo LOD (ng/ml) LOQ (ng/ml) Hormone conc (pmol/g FW) RSD (%) LOD (ng/ml) LOQ (ng/ml) Hormone conc (pmol/g FW) RSD (%) LOD (ng/ml) LOQ (ng/ml) Hormone conc (pmol/g FW) RSD (%) CS 0.1 0.6 154.20 ± 6.27 a 4.5 0.1 0.6 147.20 ± 3.61 a 7.3 0.1 0.6 153.56 ± 3.15 a 3.8 MI 0.4 1.8 138.40 ± 8.23 b 5.2 0.5 1.3 126.30 ± 3.42 b 3.1 0.3 1.3 139.42 ± 9.20 b 4.7 WHC 0.2 0.5 139.62 ± 7.20 b 25.6 0.3 0.4 128.40 ± 4.30 b 16.2 0.1 0.4 137.34 ± 8.20 b 12.5 MI + WHC 0.1 0.3 122.32 ± 7.50 c 28.7 0.2 0. 4 123.70 ± 4.32 b 38.6 0.1 0.5 126.85 ± 4.54 c 18.0 NPK 0.1 0.6 184.62 ± 8.20 d 7.4 0.2 0.5 191.30 ± 4.20 c 6.0 0.1 0.4 176.82 ± 5.08 d 7.2 Keys: CS = control soil MI = Microbial Inoculant, WHC = Water Hyacinth Compost, NPK fertilizer = Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Potassium, LOD = limit of detection, LOQ = limit of quantification, RSD = relative standard deviation, FW = fresh weight. Values bearing different superscript alphabets “a, b, c, d” down the columns differ significantly (p < 0.05). Table 26 cis -Zeatin (cZ) in crop shoot Treatments Zea mays Abelmoschus esculentus Cucurbita pepo LOD (ng/ml) LOQ (ng/ml) Hormone conc (pmol/g FW) RSD (%) LOD (ng/ml) LOQ (ng/ml) Hormone conc (pmol/g FW) RSD (%) LOD (ng/ml) LOQ (ng/ml) Hormone conc (pmol/g FW) RSD (%) CS 0.1 0.6 85.60 ± 3.41 a 4.5 0.1 0.6 64.50 ± 8.16 a 7.3 0.1 0.6 65.70 ± 2.70 a 3.8 MI 0.4 1.8 87.20 ± 2.63 a 5.2 0.5 1.3 65.92 ± 7.21 a 3.1 0.3 1.3 67.92 ± 3.50 a 4.7 WHC 0.2 0.5 86.90 ± 3.25 a 25.6 0.3 0.4 65.80 ± 8.22 a 16.2 0.1 0.4 67.97 ± 2.32 a 12.5 MI + WHC 0.1 0.3 88.12 ± 4.15 a 28.7 0.2 0. 4 67.64 ± 7.12 a 38.6 0.1 0.5 68.25 ± 3.25 a 18.0 NPK 0.1 0.6 86.30 ± 3.36 a 7.4 0.2 0.5 65.45 ± 3.60 a 6.0 0.1 0.4 68.10 ± 4.10 a 7.2 Keys: CS = control soil MI = Microbial Inoculant, WHC = Water Hyacinth Compost, NPK fertilizer = Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Potassium, LOD = limit of detection, LOQ = limit of quantification, RSD = relative standard deviation, FW = fresh weight. There was no significant difference (p < 0.05) in the comparisons made. Discussion Microbial analysis of samples Soil recorded highest THBC within the range of 31.0 x 10 8 -100.66 x 10 9 cfu/. The outcome demonstrates that the native bacterial community can flourish and proliferate in the environment. Ibiene et al. (2011) and Eze and Okpokwasili (2011) both made a similar finding. The THBC and HUB in the present study are higher than values reported by Douglas (2018), where mean THBC ranged from 35.0 x 10 8 to 99.3 x 10 8 CFU/g. However, HUB which ranged from 4.2 x 10 8 to 6.4 x 10 8 CFU/g was similar in ranged to values reported in the present study. the values for NFB and PSB for Control soil, Etche, Ogbogoro and Choba soils respectively is in the ranged of values obtained by Widawati and Suliasih (2001) in their study of population of nitrogen fixing bacteria and phosphate solubilising bacteria in the rhizosphere. These organisms' capacity to repair atmospheric nitrogen is suggested by its development on nitrogen-free substrates. The species of bacteria found in this study using 16S RNA gene sequencing are members of the phosphate-solubilizing and nitrogen-fixing bacterial groups. This data supports the argument made by Ikuesan and Fajolu (2022) that bacteria can be categorized as both nitrogen-fixing and phosphate-solubilizing due to the elevated levels of the enzymes nitrogenase and ACC deaminase, which lower ethylene production in plants. Physicochemical composition of the soil The physicochemical parameters of a wetland soil as shown in Tables 5 indicates that a tropical moist forest soils have a low value of Electrical Conductivity (EC); control soil 117.46 ± 0.05µS/cm, Etche: 104.65 ± 0.02 µS/cm, Ogbogoro: 108.38 ± 0.06 µS/cm and Choba 121.52 ± 0.15 respectively. The amount of accessible nutrients in the soil is measured by electrical conductivity. The ability of the soil water to transport an electrical charge is shown by the soil EC value. The soil's EC level is a reliable gauge of how much nutrition is available for crop uptake. An ideal EC level is greater than 100µS/cm. Any soil with EC level below 100 indicates that the plant is not getting adequate nutrients, and it may also indicate a sterile soil with limited microbial activity (Jennifer 2016). The forest soil used in this experiment fall within a good range of EC value which means the soil is highly fertile. The pH of the control soil was 7.23 ± 0.05, Etche was 5.85 ± 0.02; Ogbogoro was 6.58 ± 0.07; Choba was 5.80 ± 0.11 respectively. The soil pH slightly varies from 5.60–7.23. Control soil has a moderate neutral range while Ogbogoro soil has a slightly neutral range, Choba and Etche forest have a moderate acidic soil, and thus the pH shows acidic in nature. As a result, the soil is neither too alkaline nor acidic, but rather has an average degree of alkalinity that promotes microbial development. This pH result differs from that of Horsfall et al. (2015), who concluded that forest soils are extremely productive but defined them as having a mean pH range of 4.5, which is acidic. All soil treated samples had alkaline pH which supports microbial activities except soil treated with NPK (Table 6 ). This finding is in line with the report of Zhang et al. ( 2023 ) who reported improvement of acidity to alkalinity in biofertilizer treated soils used in cultivating spinach. According to Zhang et al. ( 2023 ), acidic soil has adverse effect on planted crops as it suppresses growth and increase production of reactive oxygen species which negatively affect plant metabolism. Additionally, the soils' organic carbon values range from 2.63% to 3.87% (0–15% and above) (Table 5 ), suggesting that their organic content is naturally fruitful and this finding is comparable to Horsfall et al. (2015), whose results range from 2.40% to 3.0%. Generally, soil treated with combination of Microbial Inoculant and Water Hyacinth Compost had highest pH, nitrate, potassium, phosphate, calcium, zinc and manganese levels when compared to other treatments (Table 6 ). The electrical conductivity, organic matter, total organic carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, zinc and manganese concentrations were significantly improved in soils treated with biofertilizers than soils without biofertilizer (Table 6 ). The results on the physicochemical analysis of soil samples agree with other studies (Anli et al. 2020 ; Bertrand et al. 2024 ) who all reported that soil prior to biofertilization were acidic and had poor mineral nutrients which does not support growth and performance of date palm and okra cultivars respectively. The effect of biofertilizer on growth parameters The effects of 0.1 g substrate of various biofertilizer treatments (Mixed soil MI = Microbial Inoculant, WHC = Water Hyacinth Compost, MI + WHC = Microbial Inoculant + Water Hyacinth Compost, and NPK = Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Potassium Fertilizer) on growth parameters of Cucurbita pepo , Zea mays and Abelmoscus esculentus are shown in Tables 7 – 12 . Results showed significant increase in the shoot length, leaves areas, total chlorophyll contents, germination rate, height and yield in these three crops planted in biofertilizer treated soils than control. This implies that the biofertilizer treatments deployed in this study enhanced growth parameters positively. Generally, biofertilizer treatment with combination of microbial inoculum and water hyacinth compost gave the best results on the growth parameters followed by treatment with water hyacinth alone while treatment with microbial inoculum gave the least effect on growth parameters of the three planted crops. The efficiency displayed by the combined treatment of microbial inoculant and water hyacinth compost could be linked to high organic matter content in soil treated with it as well to availability and accessibility of soil nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and magnesium that are required for growth of vegetative parts (Djoufack et al. 2025 ). Even while chemical fertilizers offer easily accessible nutrients (Ano and Ekefan 2023 ), a sizable amount may be lost as a result of rainfall, which could cause leaching and lower the efficiency of nutrient uptake. Chemical fertilizers have the potential to impede soil compaction by decreasing soil porosity. Furthermore, although having a high nutritional content, inorganic fertilizers lack the growth-promoting substances found in water hyacinth compost and microbial inoculant, which are what increase fertility and production (Sanwal et al. 2007 ). The growth performance of these three crops increased steadily with increase in period of planting with best growth performance obtained after 60 days, . Abelmoscus esculentus had the best performance from the biofertilizer treatments which probably tells of its excellent response to soil nutrients (Djoufack et al. 2025 ). This result agrees with the study of Al-Hadethi et al. ( 2017 ), Zhang et al. ( 2023 ) and Anli et al. ( 2020 ) who reported significant increase in the growth parameters (leaves area, chlorophyll contents, plant height, leaf length, shoot length and stem diameter) of Peento peach cultivar, spinach and date palm respectively cultivated with different soil biofertilizer treatments when compared with control. Both of them equally reported that combination of biofertilizer treatments produced better results on the growth parameters of Peen to peach cultivar and spinach plant. The result further aligns with the findings by Al-Hadethi ( 2015 ), Kumar et al. ( 2013 ), Ebrahimi et al. ( 2023 ) and Dawood et al. ( 2019 ) who reported significant increase in stem diameter, leaves areas, shoot length and germination rate of apricot trees, peartrees, Zygophyllum eurypterum and flax cultivars respectively cultivated in biofertilized soils. Chlorophyll is the green pigment that facilitates photosynthesis (Dawood et al. 2019 ). The significant increase in chlorophyll contents of the three crops treated with biofertilizer could be because of bio-regulator role which altars photo-respiratory and photosynthetic balance in plants (Olaiya 2010 ). More so, high chlorophyll contents contribute to delay in aging of leaves while supporting RNA and protein synthesis (Shalaby & El-Nady 2008 ). Cucurbito pepo, Zea mays , and Abelmoscus esculentus have all shown a notable increase in height, which indicates that their responses vary based on the fertilization regime used. This could be attributed to a substantial and essential supply of nutrients, including nitrogen, which the plant can directly absorb for vegetative growth, and other nutrients (potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, etc.) that are involved in root development. The type of crop and the quantity of fertilizer used are typically correlated with production yield. The study's findings demonstrated that the three crops' ( Cucurbito pepo, Zea mays , and Abelmoscus esculentus ) production yield varied, which may have been caused by physiological reactions brought on by variations in the genetic information in their genomes that ensured their growth and development by absorbing nutrients from the soil and responding favorably to climatic constraints. Its greater ability to adapt to climatic circumstances, its efficient photosynthesis, and its improved nutrient assimilation may be the reasons for the increased output yield of Zea mays and Abelmoscus esculentus treated with a mix of microbial inoculant and water hyacinth compost. In reality, Zea mays and Abelmoscus esculentus would have more readily absorbed the nutrients from the soil treatments than Cucurbito pepo , as nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and water are the limiting factors in achieving high yields (Agbede et al. 2017 ). Our findings are consistent with a study by Djoufack et al. ( 2025 ) that found that the use of organic fertilizers produced the highest production yield values. According to Barker and Pilbeam ( 2007 ), the better performance of crop planted on biofertilizer treated soil could be attributed to cumulative impact of biofertilizers applied which in turn enhanced biochemical processes and photosynthesis in planted crops by enabling them to utilize plant nutrients like potassium, nitrogen and phosphorus through the help of enzymes. The second possible reason for the significant increase in growth parameters of these crops by biofertilized treated soils might be because of presence of micro and macro nutrients, proteins, vitamins, and plant growth regulators that facilitate the building up of dried matter in plants (Mirabal-Alonso et al. 2008 ). Biofertilizers equally promote the release and availability of soil nutrients in treated soils thereby facilitating physiological processes and all the biochemical procedures (Yu et al. 2014 ). Effect of biofertilizers on nutrient content and absorption by crops The nutrient levels in soil samples after 60 days of planting period are shown in Table 13 – 17 . Results showed that the concentrations of N, P, K, Zn and Mn were generally lower in soils planted these three crops after 60 days of planting period which implies that the crops must have utilized these nutrients in boosting their performance. These results are quite similar with earlier reports (Aedesh et al. 2024; Demir et al. 2023 ; Al-Hadethi et al. 2017 ; Sundari and Gandhi 2017 ; Kumar et al. 2017 ; Radhakrishnan and Lee 2016 ; Kumar et al. 2013 ; Dutt et al. 2013 ; Sharma et al. 2008 ) who all reported higher levels of nutrients in crops planted on biofertilized soils. The mechanism of action of biofertilizers include restoration of nutrient cycles in soil, fixation of nitrogen, solubilization of phosphorus and supporting the synthesis of plant growth promoting factors through the help of organisms present in them which leads to increase in nutrient absorption (Aadesh et al. 2024 ; Al-Hadethi et al. 2017 ). Also, nitrogen and phosphorus are made available for better utilization through the help of biofertilizers (Regar et al. 2018 ) with the help of bacteria like Azotobacter, Bacillus, Pseudomonas and Rhizobium organism which aid in dissolving phosphate. These organisms are capable of converting non-absorbable phosphorus into forms that can be absorbed (Tosic et al. 2016). According to Chen et al. (2006), these bacteria can breakdown up to 50% of non-absorbable phosphorus in the soil. Bacillus and Pseudomonas sp found in the control and test soils utilized in this study might have converted phosphorus into absorbable forms for easy uptake by crops thereby diminishing their concentrations in soils after period of planting. More so, the metabolism of carbohydrates, the promotion of growth and early root development, and the quickening of plant maturity, fruiting, and development are all aspects of plant growth that depend on phosphorus. However, after being absorbed by the plant, nitrogen is needed for optimal growth because it is transformed into nitrate ions, which act as a substrate for assimilation and signaling molecules that partially control the pattern of growth and development by regulating the expression of different genes (Ali et al. 2003 ; Takei et al. 2002 ). Molecular identification of functional gene Agrorose electrophoresis showed the Amplified 16s rRNA gene. Lane 1 PA4 Bacillus cereus (OR105044), Lane 2: PA6 Bacillus cereus (OR105045), Lane 3 PA7 Bacillus fungorum (OR105046) and Lane 4 6A11 Bacillus paramycoides ( OR105047) (Table 18 ) while ladder at the first lane represents the 1500 pb molecular ladder, identification of isolate showed bacterial isolates as Bacillus cereus , Bacillus fungorum and Bacillus paramycoides with accession number OR105044, OR105045, OR105046 and OR105047 respectively (Fig. 2 ). This agree with the findings of Amal and Heba ( 2023 ) and Agu et al. ( 2021 ) who screened and identified species as Bacillus cereus (OP970172), Bacillus licheniformis (OP970169), Pseudomonas fluorescens (OP970170) and Azotobacter chroococcum (OP970171) to be useful in enhancing plant growth through mineralization such as solubilization of phosphate and nitrogen fixation in biofertilizer production study. Effect of biofertilizer on plant hormones In the field of agricultural production, plant growth regulators have become widely used because they may effectively influence crop growth and development while improving crop output and quality (Jiang et al. 2020 ). The findings showed that IAA was evenly distributed in shoot and leaf of the three crops, GA 4 and cis-zeatin were found more in shoot than leaf while ABA were mostly higher in leaf than shoot of crops which suggest the presence of plant hormones capable of regulating activities within the tissues of these crops (Tables 19 – 26 ). Additionally, the study showed that the content of IAA and GA 4 in crop shoots and leaves was higher in soil treated with a combination of MI and WHC than in other treatments (Tables 19 – 26 ). Consistent with earlier research, it was clear that applying organic soil treatments increased the amounts of GA 4 and IAA while lowering ABA (Shi et al. 2022 ). However, as compared to other groups, the NPK-treated group had higher levels of ABA in both the crop's leaves and shoots (Tables 21 and 25 ). Djoufack et al. ( 2025 ) obtained similar results. Cell division and elongation are markedly inhibited by ABA, a strong growth inhibitor. It may hinder the growth of leaves, embryos, embryo sheaths, stems, hypocotyls, and roots, among other plant elements. Additionally, ABA promotes stomatal closure and dormancy, which further suppresses plant growth (Chen et al. 2018 ). According to earlier studies, elevated IAA levels speed up organ abscission and promote the synthesis of ethylene (Mao et al. 2014 ). According to Zhu's research, growth hormone increases GA production, which in turn stimulates the creation of fiber (Zhu et al. 2022 ). Similar to the findings of Djoufack et al. ( 2025 ), soil treatments had no discernible impact on the amount of cis-ZT. This ensures cell viability and delays plant senescence when applied in combination (Jiang et al. 2020 ). Together, these findings imply that different plant growth regulator compounds are essential in regulating the growth and development of Cucurbito pepo, Zea mays , and Abelmoscus esculentus 60 days after planting by affecting GA4 and IAA levels, lowering ABA content, and preventing these crops from senescence. Conclusion This study have shown that the type of soil treatment had a significant impact on growth performance parameters, yield, nutrient levels and hormones of Cucurbito pepo , Zea mays and Abelmoscus esculentus after 60 days of planting with treatment administered in combination (Microbial Inoculant + Water Hyacinth Compost) producing the best performance. The study equally discovered species with biofertilizing potentials. More so, as much as the addition of the soil with NPK chemical fertilizer increased leave area and germination rate in crops; it however increased the acidity of the soil and soil nutrients from NPK was lost rapidly than in other soil treatments which can be detrimental to the microbial activities and health. We therefore recommend that in order to increased food security, create jobs, and strengthen the country's agro-economy, the Nigerian government and private investors should collaborate in the industrialization of biofertilizer manufacturing and application of biofertilizer since it is an efficient and feasible way of reducing chemical fertilizers rate, cost and increased growth benefit and more. Biofertilizer should be continuous in use to increase our production and fight hunger to enable the nation actualize United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 1 (No poverty), 2 (zero hunger) and 3 (Life on land). Abbreviations MI Microbial Inoculant WHC Water Hyacinth Compost ABA Abscisic acid IAA indole-3-acetic acid GA 4 gibberellin cZ cis-Zeatin PSB phosphate solubilizing bacteria THB total heterotrophic bacteria count THUB total hydrocarbon utilizing bacteria NFB nitrogen fixing bacteria NPK nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium Declarations Acknowledgements We are thankful to the microbiology section staff at the University of Port Harcourt Choba, Rivers State, Nigeria for their help accessing the data in the laboratory information system and laboratory registers. The authors equally appreciate the management of the National Institute for Medical Research (NIMR) Molecular Biology Laboratory in Yaba, Lagos, Nigeria, for assisting with DNA extractions, PCR amplification of, and gel electrophoresis of the isolates. Author contributions RNA, PIA and HOS developed the study’s concept and design. RNA and PIA participated in data collection. RNA, PIA and GOA performed data cleaning, analysis, and interpretation. RNA, PIA, GOA and IFV drafted the manuscript. All authors reviewed the manuscript and agreed to the final version of the manuscript. Funding This work was supported by Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND), Nigeria [NRF/SETI/NRT/00031]. Availability of data and materials The datasets used during the current study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable demand. Ethics approval and consent to participate Not applicable. Conflict of interest The authors declare no competing interests. Informed consent statement Not applicable. Institutional review board statement Not applicable. References Aadesh RS, Jadoun SS, Tomar A, Parmar K (2024) Effect of rate of biofertilizers on growth and development of spinach ( Spinacia Oleracea L.). Bio Web of Conferences 110: 04006. 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Bioanalysis 9: 1839–1844. https://doi.org/10.4155/bio-2017-0214 Zhu L, Jiang B, Zhu J, Xiao G (2022) Auxin promotes fiber elongation by enhancing gibberellic acid biosynthesis in cotton. Plant Biotechnol J 20: 423–425. https://doi.org/10.1111/pbi.13771 . Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Supplementary Files Akwukwaegbuetal.supplementaryfileforpublicationinBulletinoftheNat.ResearchCentrejournal.docx Cite Share Download PDF Status: Published Journal Publication published 02 Mar, 2026 Read the published version in Bulletin of the National Research Centre → Version 1 posted Editorial decision: Revision requested 18 Dec, 2025 Reviews received at journal 09 Dec, 2025 Reviewers agreed at journal 07 Dec, 2025 Reviews received at journal 02 Dec, 2025 Reviewers agreed at journal 23 Nov, 2025 Reviewers invited by journal 28 Sep, 2025 Editor assigned by journal 23 Sep, 2025 Submission checks completed at journal 22 Sep, 2025 First submitted to journal 18 Sep, 2025 You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. 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Akwukwaegbu","email":"data:image/png;base64,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","orcid":"","institution":"Claretian University of Nigeria","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"Peter","middleName":"Ikechukwu","lastName":"Akwukwaegbu","suffix":""},{"id":526523743,"identity":"34231be9-71dc-456c-a928-ed966d68b508","order_by":2,"name":"Herbert Okechukwu Stanley","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"University of Port Harcourt","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Herbert","middleName":"Okechukwu","lastName":"Stanley","suffix":""},{"id":526523744,"identity":"d9a1d7c5-562d-4033-8fb2-76d2cd381c3e","order_by":3,"name":"Gideon Orkwagh Abu","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"University of Port Harcourt","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Gideon","middleName":"Orkwagh","lastName":"Abu","suffix":""},{"id":526523745,"identity":"521f4bd3-9a5b-4519-bc10-1d76eba5569f","order_by":4,"name":"Ijeoma Favour Vincent-Akpu","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"University of Port Harcourt","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Ijeoma","middleName":"Favour","lastName":"Vincent-Akpu","suffix":""}],"badges":[],"createdAt":"2025-09-18 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17:59:48","extension":"html","order_by":9,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":296544,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"earlyproof.html","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7646899/v1/b849d1e211faa63a9c3ca1dc.html"},{"id":93166153,"identity":"d273f3a5-0875-4415-ad30-aafaa5967757","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-10-09 17:59:48","extension":"png","order_by":1,"title":"Figure 1","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":476962,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eSampled Study Locations in Etche and Choba LGA in Rivers state.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis is a composite map showing the geographical locations of soil sample collection points in two different local governments.\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"floatimage1.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7646899/v1/5f00af19f6cf16fbcde665d2.png"},{"id":93165519,"identity":"9d8bae96-322e-4d0d-847f-517548d0b649","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-10-09 17:51:48","extension":"png","order_by":2,"title":"Figure 2","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":117265,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003ePCR amplification image of the 16S rRNA gene. (1: PA4; 2: PA6; 3: PA7; 4:PA11).\u003cstrong\u003e \u003c/strong\u003eThe DNA 1kb molecular ladder is given in the first lane.\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"floatimage212.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7646899/v1/fc0a8cee10b3399266aee45e.png"},{"id":104250851,"identity":"8d400e3e-ff52-4939-9018-3a13fe3f231e","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-03-09 16:10:10","extension":"pdf","order_by":0,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":3587294,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"manuscript.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7646899/v1/44f27c12-715f-4017-a421-fc68eb5a4484.pdf"},{"id":93165524,"identity":"a1ab572b-8f4a-4776-b712-525ff40ab391","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-10-09 17:51:48","extension":"docx","order_by":0,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"supplement","size":473049,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"Akwukwaegbuetal.supplementaryfileforpublicationinBulletinoftheNat.ResearchCentrejournal.docx","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7646899/v1/838aa87da97aa6918786e7c1.docx"}],"financialInterests":"No competing interests reported.","formattedTitle":"Impact of bacteria with biofertilizing potentials and water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) compost on plant growth parameters","fulltext":[{"header":"Introduction","content":"\u003cp\u003eForests are sizable tract of agricultural land that has been left untouched for several decades and is covered with trees and plants. A region of earth with a substantial tree coverage or a sizable tract of land covered with trees that serves as a habitat for untamed creatures is another way to describe it. Every forest is either man-made or indigenous, whereas constructed forests are engineered and maintained by humans, forests in nature grow naturally. Trees are the predominant life type in this intricate biological ecosystem. Forests have a lot of lateral division and are one of the planet's complicated environments. Since the advent of agricultural renaissance methods, farming today has become increasingly reliant on an ongoing source of artificial inputs, mostly nutrients. Nevertheless, the overuse and disproportion of such artificial ingredients has been observed to have negative impacts. The detrimental impacts that are being shown progressively include seeping out; this will leads to high death rates in aquatic organisms and drastically lowering quality of aquatic environment, eliminating beneficial insects and microorganisms, and increasing crop susceptibility to disease attacks. Considering previously described negative impacts of chemical-based fertilizers, biological fertilizers and other substitutes are now required (Britannica et al. 2019).\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBiofertilizers are inexpensive, efficient, and environmentally benign agricultural products that improve plant growth, output, and soil health, they have been fervently promoted as the best alternative to chemical fertilizer use (Ammar et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR11\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2023\u003c/span\u003e). It is widely acknowledged as a crucial part of the integrated nutrient supply management system and has the potential to increase crop yields by using more ecologically friendly fertilizer sources. By releasing growth-promoting hormones and converting complicated nutrients into simple nutrients that plants can use, biofertilizers increase root proliferation (Ammar et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR11\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2023\u003c/span\u003e). Although they are free of any residues of toxic or dangerous substances, they aid in mitigating the negative impacts of chemical fertilizers. They are also reasonably priced, environmentally beneficial and save to use. Chemical fertilizers must be applied to crops on a regular basis to replace the nutrients lost during crop growth, while biofertilizers provide nutrients continuously all through the plant development in the field under favorable conditions. Continuous application of chemical fertilizers degrades agricultural activities, while the application of biofertilizers improves soil structure and crop product quality, increases agricultural produces by 22\u0026ndash;32%, and replaces inorganic by 27%. According to Gyaneshwar et al. (2002), additional application of inorganic fertilizers in excess cause plant death whereas biofertilizers have no negative effects.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAccording to Kumar et al. (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR32\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2017\u003c/span\u003e), the realization of the negative environmental impacts caused by the overuse and incorrect utilization of chemical fertilizers has led to a recent surge in interest in the development and implementation of microbial-based fertilizers. Through biological processes like stabilization of nitrogen, phosphate in the solubilization, excretion of substances that promote plant growth, and biodegradation in soil, various species of microorganisms may transfer economically essential compounds from non-useful to feasible forms, resulting in biofertilizers. They are live microbial inoculants that include fungi, bacteria, or algae individually. This resulted from the immense efforts to identify and select strains of bacteria that have the ability to support plant growth, as well as from a greater knowledge of the relationships that occur in the roots between plant tissue and soil microbes. Microorganisms from the soil have long been used in crop cultivation. The recycling of nutrients, especially carbon into the atmosphere, nitrogen, phosphorus, and sulphur, is strongly associated with bacteria, the primary class of microorganisms that keep soils healthy (Thornbro \u003cspan citationid=\"CR48\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2022\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe provision of nutrients to crops, promotion of crop development and enhancement of soil structure and quality are some of the primary roles of bacteria in the soil. Bacteria like \u003cem\u003ePseudomonas species\u003c/em\u003e) are among the microorganisms utilized as biofertilizers (Seenivasagan et al. 2021). Biological nitrogen fixation (BNF), phytohormone synthesis, environmental stress alleviation, synergism with other microbial-plant interactions, inhibition of plant ethylene synthesis, increased availability of nutrients such as phosphorus, iron, and minor elements, and growth enhancement by volatile compounds are some of the microbial mechanisms of plant growth promotion (Ammar et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR11\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2023\u003c/span\u003e). Nevertheless, the manifestation of such bacterial activity in a lab setting does not ensure a symbiotic or reciprocal relationship with a host plant. This is particularly true for nitrogen fixation, which is widely expressed by a variety of bacterial and fungal species in culture medium polluted soils; beneficial microorganisms can also be employed for supplementation of soil nutrients (Atuchin et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR14\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2023\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Methods","content":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eStudy mapped area\u003c/b\u003e Etche community is between latitudes 4\u0026deg; 04' 5\" North and 5\u0026deg; 01' 7\" North and longitudes 6\u0026deg; 05' 5\" East and 7\u0026deg; 01' 7\" East in the north eastern region, of Nigeria. Obio-Akpor is a local government area located in Rivers State, Nigeria, in the city of Port Harcourt; Ogbogoro community is a neighborhood in the Greater Port Harcourt City area of Rivers State, Nigeria; while Choba is located at coordinates 4\u0026deg; 89' 07'' North, 6\u0026deg; 90\u0026rsquo; 34\u0026rsquo;\u0026rsquo; East with a total size of roughly 23.65 square kilometres (Fig.\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Fig1\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eInsert Fig.\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Fig1\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e here please\u003c/p\u003e\u003cdiv id=\"Sec3\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003eSample collection\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eSoil samples were collected randomly at three different depths (0\u0026ndash;15, 15\u0026ndash;30 and 30-45cm) from the various forests (Etche, Ogbogoro, and Choba) in Rivers state and Agricultural soil from the Department of Crop and Soil Science, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Port Harcourt as control with a soil Auger. The Soil Auger used was cleaned with ethanol after each collection to reduce contamination between samples. Each of the soil samples was mixed to form a composite sample and was sent in sterile containers and transported to the laboratory for further analysis within 24 hours. Sieving through a 5 mm mesh size sieve of the sample was done and they were stored at 4\u003csup\u003eo\u003c/sup\u003eC for DNA analysis and others for physicochemical, soil composition and microbiological analysis. This was done according to the method of Abu et al. (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR2\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2024\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ePlant samples: okra (\u003cem\u003eAbelmoschus esculentus)\u003c/em\u003e, maize \u003cem\u003e(Zea mays)\u003c/em\u003e and pumpkin seeds \u003cem\u003e(Cucurbita pepo)\u003c/em\u003e were purchased from River State Agricultural development Program (RSADP). Water hyacinth plant was gotten from new Calabar River at Choba. Samples collected from these areas include soil from different soil horizons. Sampling points were georeferenced (coordinates were taken using a GPS device). Samples were brought to the laboratory for analysis at the conclusion of the sampling process.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003ePhysicochemical analysis of soil and biofertilizer samples\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA portable, handheld, pH meter was used to potentiometrically measure the samples' pH according to Zhao et al. (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR53\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2020\u003c/span\u003e); soil total nitrogen was analysed in compliance with ecological laws (LY/T 1237\u0026ndash;1999 and LY/T 1228\u0026ndash;2015); electrical conductivity was measured by dipping the electrode into the sample in the beaker and allowing the figures on the conductivity meter screen to stabilize before taking the conductivity reading (Zhao et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR53\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2020\u003c/span\u003e); total organic carbon was determined according to method by Allen \u003cspan citationid=\"CR9\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2019\u003c/span\u003e); nitrate and total nitrogen were determined following distillation method (Allen \u003cspan citationid=\"CR9\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2019\u003c/span\u003e); soil phosphate was measured using thermospectronic spectrophotometer; while soil potassium was analyzed following the digestion of HF-HClO\u003csub\u003e4\u003c/sub\u003e-HNO\u003csub\u003e3\u003c/sub\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eMicrobiological Analysis of Soil Samples\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003ePreparation of soil sample\u003c/b\u003e To remove the organism from the soil particles, one gram (1g) of each soil sample was aseptically added to a separate test tube that contained nine milliliters of normal saline and shaken. To achieve varying dilutions up to 10\u003csup\u003e\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;5\u003c/sup\u003e, 1 ml of each suspension was then serially added to 9 ml diluents. In duplicate, aliquots of the diluted soil suspension were transferred on mineral salt agar, nutrient agar, Pikovskaya (PVK) agar and Jensen\u0026rsquo;s Media agar,\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eEnumeration of heterotrophic bacteria\u003c/b\u003e Nutrient agar was plated with duplicate aliquots (0.1 ml) of serially diluted soil sample using spread plate techniques. The plates were then incubated at 37\u0026deg;C for 24 hours. After incubation, the colonies were counted to measure the number of colony forming units (CFU) per gram of soil sample. Discrete colonies were chosen and then sub cultured (Hema et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR27\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2017\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eScreening for phosphate solubilizing bacteria\u003c/b\u003e Each sample had about 2g of dirt removed from its source and placed in sterile tubes with 2 ml of sterile deionized (DI) water. After carefully vortexing each test tube, 100 \u0026micro;l of each 10-fold dilution was made down to 10\u003csup\u003e\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;9\u003c/sup\u003e. The dilutions were then plated onto nutrient agar, and later cultured in both Pikovskaya (PVK) and Jensen\u0026rsquo;s media agar plates (Pikovskaya, 1948). Ten 10 glucose, 0.2 of yeast extract, 0.2 of (NH\u003csub\u003e4\u003c/sub\u003e)\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003eSO\u003csub\u003e4\u003c/sub\u003e, 0.1 MgSO\u003csub\u003e4\u003c/sub\u003e.7H\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e0, Ca(PO\u003csub\u003e4\u003c/sub\u003e), 0.2 KCl, 0.002 MnSO \u003csub\u003e4\u003c/sub\u003e.2H\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e0, 0.002 FeSO\u003csub\u003e4\u003c/sub\u003e.7H\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e0, and 15 agar were all present in the PVK medium (in g L\u003csup\u003e\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;1\u003c/sup\u003e). To get rid of the soluble phosphate impurities, the insoluble Ca(PO\u003csub\u003e4\u003c/sub\u003e) was centrifuged after being cleaned with diluted water. The wet Ca(PO\u003csub\u003e4\u003c/sub\u003e) was dried using a vacuum-flask device, and the supernatant was disposed of. The total number of rhizospheric bacteria in each plant sample was calculated from the colonies that developed on the Jensens media agar plates. In the PVK agar plates, the colonies that generated clearing zones were separated. For a more thorough examination of clearing zone creation, individual colonies from the isolation were subsequently cultivated onto fresh PVK plates. For a maximum of 3 days, all plates were incubated at 30\u0026deg;C (Hema et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR27\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2017\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eScreening for nitrogen fixing abilities\u003c/b\u003e Five milliliter of Jensens media were used to inoculate the 48-hour-old cultures. The incubation period was 48 hours. 50 ml of semi-solid medium was inoculated with 1ml of this Jensens media. It was then incubated for fifteen days. Nitrogen estimate was performed using 10 ml of this culture and the conventional Jensens approach (Hema et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR27\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2017\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eExperimental design\u003c/b\u003e According to Vincent-Akpu et al. (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR50\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2024\u003c/span\u003e), the various soil treatments were loaded in pot according to pot experimentation procedure we have the following experimental set up. The soil samples from the various forests depth were mixed to form a single soil in the ratio of 1:1:1 and used to make five treatments as follow:\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eOnly mixed soil (control)\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e2 kg of Soil\u0026thinsp;+\u0026thinsp;0.1kg Microbial inoculant\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e2 kg of Soil\u0026thinsp;+\u0026thinsp;0.1kg Water Hyacinth Compost\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e2 kg of Soil\u0026thinsp;+\u0026thinsp;0.1kg Microbial inoculant\u0026thinsp;+\u0026thinsp;0.1kg Water Hyacinth Compost\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e2 kg of Soil\u0026thinsp;+\u0026thinsp;0.1kg Nitrogen Phosphorus and Potassium (NPK)\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eAnalysis of Crop Growth Parameters\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eSeed variable test\u003c/b\u003e Using the \"flotation method\" in seed processing, which is essentially a straightforward technique to test seed viability by using their density difference in water, viable, heavier seeds sink to the bottom while less viable, lighter seeds float to the top. This allows for the separation and selection of high-quality seeds for planting.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003ePot culture Experiment\u003c/b\u003e \u003cem\u003eZea mays\u003c/em\u003e maize, \u003cem\u003eAbelmoschus esculentus\u003c/em\u003e okro and \u003cem\u003eCucurbita pepo\u003c/em\u003e pumpkin seeds were grown in a pot culture experiment to test the effectiveness of the treatments (MS\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;Mixed soil, MI\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;Microbial Inoculant, WHC\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;Water Hyacinth Compost, NPK\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Potassium Fertilizer). To determine whether the various prepared treatments improved plant growth, they were utilized in combination and ratio. The experiment was set up using several treatments. Plants were used in each treatment, and the entire procedure was repeated numerous times. Sterile distilled water was used to revive 0.1kilogram of the substrate, which was subsequently combined with 0.1kilogram of the different substrate in an aseptic setting. The seeds were planted straight into their containers. Forest mixed soil weighing 0.2 kg was placed in each pot. For 60 days with various treatments the plants' phenotypic characteristics are measured every five days. At the Green house across from the Basic Science building, the plants were housed in a poly house with a humidity level between 70 and 80%. The green house's temperature fluctuates based on local conditions and is not controlled (max: 32\u0026ordm;C, min: 15\u0026ordm;C) (Akintokun et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR5\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2019\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eDetermination of Shoot length\u003c/b\u003e We experimented with a method called mid-line tracking, which counts the number of points on the stem to determine shoot length. However, we found that the stem was often invisible during the plant's early growth stage when the shoot was quite short. Furthermore, the plant's shoot system may curve under natural circumstances, therefore a precise estimate of the actual shoot length using meter rule was equally done.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eDetermination of plant height\u003c/b\u003e This was done with meter rule measuring from the base of the crop to the top in cm according to Krzynanowski et al. (2020).\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eDetermination of Leaves area\u003c/b\u003e After, rule was used to measure the width, (at the widest point) of the lead and length from the lead apex. The readings of three leaves were taken (both width and length). The leaf area was as follows:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e(L×W) + 1.66\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhere leaf\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;L\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;length of leaf, W\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;width of leaf. 1.66\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;constant (Suma and Srimathi 2014).\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eDetermination of Leaf chlorophyll contents\u003c/b\u003e Contents of leaf chlorophyll (mg.100g\u003csup\u003e\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;1\u003c/sup\u003e fresh weight): A representative fresh leaf sample from the middle of the shoots was collected in order to perform a calorimetric study of the chlorophyll content. The manufacturer's instructions were followed when calibrating the equipment. Five plants or replications of each species were then selected at random to determine the first ten mature leaves. Ten SPAD-502 measurements on average were used to determine each leaf (Konica Minolta Sensing, Inc., Sakai, Osaka, Japan). It measured the transmittance of leaves in the infrared (940 nm) and red (650 nm) portions of the electromagnetic spectrum. The transmittance measurements were converted into a relative SPAD-502 meter value (from 0 to 99), which was proportionate to the sample's chlorophyll concentration (Soil Plant Analysis Development (SPAD) Markwell et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR34\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1995\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eDetermination of Germination rate (%)\u003c/b\u003e To measure the germination rate with fluorescent lighting, four replicates of one hundred seeds were planted in sand medium and maintained at room temperature and relative humidity. The normal seedlings were counted after the seven-day test period, and the mean values were translated into a percentage of the total number of seeds planted for germination (Suma and Srimathi 2014).\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eDetermination of yield\u003c/b\u003e For calculation of crop yield, 16 samples each of maize cobs, okra pods and pumpkin leaves were picked randomly. The respective crops after topped by hand were taken to the laboratory in rice bag well-perforated for air movement. Soil particles and other debris were carefully removed prior to weighing on a weighing balance to avoid error in calculation. The total weight obtained in kg was noted and utilized for the calculation of crop yield which was expressed in tonnes per hectare (t ha\u003csup\u003e\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;1\u003c/sup\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e\u003cdiv id=\"Sec8\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003eMolecular Identification\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe National Institute for Medical Research (NIMR) Molecular Biology Laboratory in Yaba, Lagos, Nigeria, performed DNA extractions, PCR amplification of the partial bacterial 16S rRNA genes, and gel electrophoresis of the isolates. The European Genome and Diagnostics Centre, GATC Biotech AG, Jakob Stadier-Platz 7, 78467 Constance, Germany, received the PCR products for 16S rRNA sequencing. Following the manufacturer's instructions, a QIAGEN QIAamp DNA extraction kit was used to extract DNA directly from the samples. The PCR amplification of the partial 16S rRNA genes was carried out using the primer set 27F-5\u0026prime;-AGA GTTTG ATYMTGG CTC AG-3\u0026prime;, and 515R 5\u0026prime;-TACCGCGGCKG CTGGCA C-3\u0026prime;. The procedure outlined by Ezebuiro et al. (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR25\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2015\u003c/span\u003e) was followed for conducting the reaction. The reaction mixture was made up of 20 microliters of 1\u0026times; PCR buffer (Solis Biodyne), 1.5 mM magnesium chloride (Solis Biodyne), 0.2 mM of each dNTP (Solis Biodyne), 2 U Taq DNA Polymerase (Solis Biodyne), 20 pMol of each primer, and sterile water. The following cycling conditions were used for doing PCR in an Eppendorf Nexus heat cycler: a 5-minute initial denaturation step at 95\u0026deg;C, 30 cycles of denaturation at 95\u0026deg;C for 30 s, annealing at 55\u0026deg;C for 45s, and extension at 72\u0026deg;C for 1 min. A final extension was then performed for 10 minutes at 72\u0026deg;C. Following the PCR, a 1.5% agarose gel was used to separate the PCR products. Solis Biodyne's 150 base-pair (bp) DNA ladder was employed as a measure of DNA molecular weight. The gel was examined under UV light following ethidium bromide staining, and electrophoresis was carried out at 80V for one hour and thirty minutes.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eDetermination of Plant Hormones\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003ePurchase of hormone standards\u003c/b\u003e Analytical standards of four plant hormones were purchased from commercial stores as stated. Santa Cruz Biotechnology, Inc. (CA, USA) supplied gibberellin A\u003csub\u003e4\u003c/sub\u003e (GA\u003csub\u003e4\u003c/sub\u003e), Tokyo Kasei Kogyo Co. (Tokyo, Japan) provided abscisic acid (ABA), Wako Pure Chemical Industries Ltd. (Osaka, Japan) provided indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), and Santa Cruz Biotechnology, Inc. supplied \u003cem\u003ecis\u003c/em\u003e-Zeatin (cZ). Tochu Co. (Aichi, Japan) provided the quartz sand.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003ePreparation of crop samples\u003c/b\u003e With a few minor adjustments, a previously described procedure has been used for the sample preparation and plant hormone extraction (Simura et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR45\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2018\u003c/span\u003e). In short, a TissueLyser II (Thermo Fisher Scientific) was used to individually homogenize the leaves, roots, and stems in liquid nitrogen. A total of one milliliter of cold 50% acetonitrile was used to extract fifty milligrams of the substance. After that, the extract was purified using an Oasis HLB cartridge (Waters) on a non-selective reversed-phase solid-phase extraction (RP-SPE). 100% methanol and ultrapure water were used to activate the column, and 50% acetonitrile was used to equilibrate it. After loading the sample onto the cartridge, the flow-through was recorded. One milliliter of 30% acetonitrile was then used to elute the target hormone residues. The flow-through and eluted fractions were combined, evaporated for three hours in a vacuum concentrator, and the dried residues were dissolved in 100 \u0026micro;l of 30% acetonitrile. Standard addition was used to quantify plant hormones (Cheng et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR19\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2017\u003c/span\u003e; Garcia-Rodrıguez et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR26\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2014\u003c/span\u003e). Standard solutions were fortified with samples at concentrations ranging from 1.0 ng/ml to 250.0 ng/ml. To create matrix calibration curves in the range of 1.0 ng/ml to 250.0 ng/ml to equalize matrix effects among samples, actual samples were diluted (dilution factor 1.05). The same matrix was used to create calibration curves for every phytohormone for every analyte. The peak areas of A and B were then used to calculate matrix effects (ME\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;A\u0026mdash;B/A*100), where A was recognized as an analyte peak area in a standard solution and B as an analyte peak area in a matrix (Zhou, Yang and Wang \u003cspan citationid=\"CR54\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2017\u003c/span\u003e). The sample was analyzed in advance, and the peak area of an analyte derived from the sample was subtracted from B. By comparing the peak areas of each phytohormone found in the sample spiked before SPE and the sample spiked after SPE, the recovery rate was determined. The signal-to-noise ratios of 3:1 and 10:1 were used to define the limits of detection (LOD) and quantification (LOQ), respectively.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eMeasurement of plant hormones\u003c/b\u003e Ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled with high resolution mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) was used to analyze plant hormones. Purified extracts were separated, in short, using a linear methanol gradient of 1\u0026ndash;100% for 10 minutes at a flow rate of 0.5 ml/min and a column oven set at 40˚C on a 2.6 \u0026micro;m Accucore C18 LC column (150 mm \u0026times; 2.1 mm) (Thermo Fisher Scientific). Using an electrospray ionization Orbitrap Q-Exactive (Thermo Fisher Scientific) connected to an UltiMate 3000 RSLC (Thermo Fisher Scientific), MS data were obtained in targeted selected ion monitoring (t-SIM) mode.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ePolarity, positive and negative ionization modes, spray voltages of 3.5 kV and 2.0 kV, sheath gas flow rate of 50, auxiliary gas of 10, sweep gas of 0, heated capillary temperature of 380˚C, S-lens RF level of 50, and auxiliary gas heater temperature of 350˚C were the conditions for mass spectrometry. Then, 70,000 was chosen as the resolution and 5E4 was the AGC objective. For all plant hormones, the isolation window was 10 m/z, and the maximal ion injection period was 200 ms.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cdiv id=\"Sec10\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003eData Analysis\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe software utilized was the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) Inc. 21.0.For physicochemical and microbiological parameters tracked over the study period, mean values (M)\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;SD computed were then subjected to two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) for multiple comparison to find out whether there are any notable difference between the different soil horizons and the physicochemical properties of the soil, as well as between the different production substrates of soil amendments and plant growth. A value (P) was deemed statistically significant if it was less than 0.05. That is (P\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.05).\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e"},{"header":"Results","content":"\u003cdiv id=\"Sec12\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003eMicrobial count\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eTables\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab1\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e and \u003cspan refid=\"Tab2\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e2\u003c/span\u003e showed the total heterotrophic bacterial (THB) count and total hydrocarbon utilizing bacterial (THUB) of soil bacteria in the forest soils. THB in the soil ranged from 31.0 x 10\u003csup\u003e8\u003c/sup\u003e \u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;100.66 x 10\u003csup\u003e9\u003c/sup\u003e cfu/g while THUB in the soil ranged from 32.00 x 10\u003csup\u003e8\u003c/sup\u003e \u0026ndash; 35.20 x 10\u003csup\u003e9\u003c/sup\u003e cfu/g. The number of total phosphate solubilizing bacteria (PSB) and nitrogen fixing bacteria (NFB) suggest abundance with the highest population of NFB and PSB as showed in Tables\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab3\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e3\u003c/span\u003e and \u003cspan refid=\"Tab4\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e4\u003c/span\u003e. THBC, THUB, PSB and NFB significantly differed (p\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.05) in most of the soils obtained from the three forests when compared to control.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab1\" border=\"1\"\u003e\u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 1\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eTotal Heterotrophic Bacterial Count (cfu/g) (THB)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/caption\u003e\u003ccolgroup cols=\"5\"\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c5\" colnum=\"5\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cthead\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eSoil depth\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eControl soil\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eEtche forest\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eOgbogoro forest\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eChoba forest\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/thead\u003e\u003ctbody\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0-15cm\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e15-30cm\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e30-45cm\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e75.00\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;1.30x 10\u003csup\u003e9a\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e51.00\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;4.00x 10\u003csup\u003e8a\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e31.00\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;2.08x 10\u003csup\u003e8a\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e69.33\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;3.50x 10\u003csup\u003e8b\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e60.00\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;7.50x 10\u003csup\u003e8b\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e43.30\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;3.50x 10\u003csup\u003e8b\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e100.66\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;2.07x 10\u003csup\u003e9c\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e81.00\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;1.37x 10\u003csup\u003e9c\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e39.33\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;7.09x 10\u003csup\u003e8c\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e68.00\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;8.88x 10\u003csup\u003e8b\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e63.00\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;8.14x 10\u003csup\u003e8b\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e39.66\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;3.51x 10\u003csup\u003e8c\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/tbody\u003e\u003c/colgroup\u003e\u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eValues are mean\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;standard deviation (M\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;S.D) of triplicate determinations (n\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;3).\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eValues bearing different superscript alphabets \u0026ldquo;a, b, c\u0026rdquo; across the rows differ significantly (p\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.05).\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab2\" border=\"1\"\u003e\u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 2\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eTotal Hydrocarbon Utilizing Bacterial Count (cfu/g) (THUB)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/caption\u003e\u003ccolgroup cols=\"5\"\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c5\" colnum=\"5\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cthead\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eSoil depth\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eControl soil\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eEtche forest\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eOgbogoro forest\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eChoba forest\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/thead\u003e\u003ctbody\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0-15cm\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e15-30cm\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e30-45cm\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e35.20\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;6.08x 10\u003csup\u003e9a\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e44.00\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;9.53x 10\u003csup\u003e8a\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e32.00\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;1.00x 10\u003csup\u003e8a\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e32.33\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;1.52x 10\u003csup\u003e8b\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e35.66\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;1.15x 10\u003csup\u003e8b\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e33.30\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;2.64x 10\u003csup\u003e8a\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e55.33\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;5.50x 10\u003csup\u003e8c\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e44.33\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;5.13x 10\u003csup\u003e8a\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e34.00\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;3.60x 10\u003csup\u003e8b\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e43.66\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;3.21x 10\u003csup\u003e8d\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e42.33\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;2.50x 10\u003csup\u003e8c\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e34.66\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;4.50x 10\u003csup\u003e8b\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/tbody\u003e\u003c/colgroup\u003e\u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eValues are mean\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;standard deviation (M\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;S.D) of triplicate determinations (n\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;3)\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eValues bearing different superscript alphabets \u0026ldquo;a, b, c, d\u0026rdquo; across the rows differ significantly (p\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.05).\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab3\" border=\"1\"\u003e\u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 3\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e\u003cp\u003ePhosphate Solubilizing Bacterial Count (cfu/g) (PSB)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/caption\u003e\u003ccolgroup cols=\"5\"\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c5\" colnum=\"5\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cthead\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eSoil depth\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eControl soil\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eEtche forest\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eOgbogoro forest\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eChoba forest\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/thead\u003e\u003ctbody\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0-15cm\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e15-30cm\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e30-45cm\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e50.00\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;4.58x 10\u003csup\u003e9a\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e38.00\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;9.16x 10\u003csup\u003e8a\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e32.33\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;2.08x 10\u003csup\u003e8a\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e34.33\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;4.10x 10\u003csup\u003e8b\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e34.33\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;4.93x 10\u003csup\u003e8b\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e33.30\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;3.21x 10\u003csup\u003e8a\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e69.00\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;4.35x 10\u003csup\u003e8c\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e38.00\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;11.00x 10\u003csup\u003e8a\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e36.00\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;2.51x 10\u003csup\u003e8b\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e37.33\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;6.65x 10\u003csup\u003e8b\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e34.66\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;7.23x 10\u003csup\u003e8b\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e32.00\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;3.40x 10\u003csup\u003e8a\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/tbody\u003e\u003c/colgroup\u003e\u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eValues are mean\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;standard deviation (M\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;S.D) of triplicate determinations (n\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;3)\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eValues bearing different superscript alphabets \u0026ldquo;a, b, c\u0026rdquo; across the rows differ significantly (p\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.05).\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab4\" border=\"1\"\u003e\u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 4\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eNitrogen fixing Bacterial Count (cfu/g) (NFB)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/caption\u003e\u003ccolgroup cols=\"5\"\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c5\" colnum=\"5\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cthead\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eSoil depth\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eControl soil\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eEtche forest\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eOgbogoro forest\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eChoba forest\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/thead\u003e\u003ctbody\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0-15cm\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e15-30cm\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e30-45cm\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e32.00\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;3.50x 10\u003csup\u003e9a\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e30.00\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;2.50x 10\u003csup\u003e8a\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e28.00\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;2.20x 10\u003csup\u003e8a\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e27.10\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;2.03x 10\u003csup\u003e8b\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e30.10\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;4.93x 10\u003csup\u003e8a\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e23.30\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;3.21x 10\u003csup\u003e8b\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e30.00\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;5.20 x 10\u003csup\u003e8a\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e27.00\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;3.50.x 10\u003csup\u003e8b\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e26.00\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;4.50 x 10\u003csup\u003e8a\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e40.00\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;1.00 x 10\u003csup\u003e8c\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e35.00\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;5.20 x 10\u003csup\u003e8c\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e31.00\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;3.30 x 10\u003csup\u003e8c\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/tbody\u003e\u003c/colgroup\u003e\u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eValues are mean\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;standard deviation (M\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;S.D) of triplicate determinations (n\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;3)\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eValues bearing different superscript alphabets \u0026ldquo;a, b\u0026rdquo; across the rows differ significantly (p\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.05)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv id=\"Sec13\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003ePhysicochemical Properties\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe physicochemical analysis of the various soil samples and soil treatments (after pooling them together and after adding soil amendments) are shown in Tables\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab5\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e5\u003c/span\u003e and \u003cspan refid=\"Tab6\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e6\u003c/span\u003e respectively. In Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab5\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e5\u003c/span\u003e: pH of the various forest soils ranged from 5.20\u0026ndash;7.23. For the rest of the physicochemical parameters, electrical conductivity which ranged from 104.65-121.52 \u0026micro;S/cm was the highest while mercury 0.01 mg/kg in all the soil samples was the least.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab6\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e6\u003c/span\u003e which showed the physicochemical characteristics of the soils in the proportion mixture of 1:1:1 with various substrates (MS\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;Mixed soil, MI\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;Microbial Inoculant, WHC\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;Water Hyacinth Compost, NPK\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Potassium Fertilizer) before and after adding the treatment: pH of all soils treatment were alkaline except soil treated with NPK fertilizer (5.80\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.11); there was a significant difference (p\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.05) in all the physicochemical parameters of soil treatments using various amendments when compared with mixed soil.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab5\" border=\"1\"\u003e\u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 5\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e\u003cp\u003ePhysicochemical characteristics of the various forest soils\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/caption\u003e\u003ccolgroup cols=\"5\"\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c5\" colnum=\"5\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cthead\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eParameter\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eControl soil\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eEtche forest\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eOgbogoro forest\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eChoba forest\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/thead\u003e\u003ctbody\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003epH\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e7.23\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.05\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e5.85\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.02\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e6.58\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.07\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e5.20\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.11\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eE/C (\u0026micro;s/cm)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e117.46\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.05\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e104.65\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.02\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e108.38\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.06\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e121.52\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.15\u003csup\u003ec\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eNitrate (mg/kg)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e2.70\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.17\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e3.79\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.58\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e3.13\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.03\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e3.64\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.26\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003ePotassium (mg/kg)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.38\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.05\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.74\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.02\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.84\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.05\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1.68\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.08\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eTotal organic carbon (%)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e2.78\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.11\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e3.87\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.02\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e2.63\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.16\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e3.80\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.01\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eTotal organic matter (%)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e3.62\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.08\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e4.76\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.06\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e5.45\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.23\u003csup\u003ec\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e5.38\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.08\u003csup\u003ec\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003ePhosphate Po\u003csub\u003e4\u003c/sub\u003e\u0026thinsp;\u003csup\u003e\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;3\u003c/sup\u003e(mg/kg)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.38\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.05\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1.24\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.02\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1.84\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.05\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1.68\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.08\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eMagnesium (mg/kg)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1.23\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.50\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1.90\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;1.00\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1.40\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.50\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1.55\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;.0.50\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eCalcium(mg/kg)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.60\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.01\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.20\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.01\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.20\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.00\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.20\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.00\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eSodium(mg/kg)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.40\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.01\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.30\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.01\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.10\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.00\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.20\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.00\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eZinc (mg/kg)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e2.54\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.31\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e2.63\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.06\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1.48\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.05\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1.93\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.04\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eManganese (mg/kg)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.30\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.01\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.60\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.01\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.50\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.00\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.20\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.00\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eIron (mg/kg)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1.45\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.12\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e2.89\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.06\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e2.67\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.78\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e2.23\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.05\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eMercury (mg/kg)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.01\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.00\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.10\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.00\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.01\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.01\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.01\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.00\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eLead (mg/g)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.50\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.21\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.55\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.19\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.45\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.30\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.70\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.01\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eCopper (mg/kg)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.20\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.05\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.10\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.06\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.45\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.50\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.15\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.49\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/tbody\u003e\u003c/colgroup\u003e\u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eValues are mean\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;standard deviation (M\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;S.D) of triplicate determinations (n\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;3).\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eValues bearing different superscript letters \u0026ldquo;a, b, c\u0026rdquo; are significantly different (p\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.05) when compared to control.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab6\" border=\"1\"\u003e\u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 6\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e\u003cp\u003ePhysicochemical properties of soil before and after adding the various treatments\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/caption\u003e\u003ccolgroup cols=\"22\"\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c5\" colnum=\"5\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c6\" colnum=\"6\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c7\" colnum=\"7\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c8\" colnum=\"8\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c9\" colnum=\"9\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c10\" colnum=\"10\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c11\" colnum=\"11\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c12\" colnum=\"12\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c13\" colnum=\"13\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c14\" colnum=\"14\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c15\" colnum=\"15\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c16\" colnum=\"16\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c17\" colnum=\"17\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c18\" colnum=\"18\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c19\" colnum=\"19\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c20\" colnum=\"20\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c21\" colnum=\"21\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c22\" colnum=\"22\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cthead\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c3\" namest=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eBefore treatment\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colspan=\"11\" nameend=\"c14\" namest=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eAfter adding substrates\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c16\" namest=\"c15\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c17\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c18\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colspan=\"4\" nameend=\"c22\" namest=\"c19\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/th\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colspan=\"5\" nameend=\"c5\" namest=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eParameters MS\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c7\" namest=\"c6\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eMI\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colspan=\"4\" nameend=\"c12\" namest=\"c9\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eWHC\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colspan=\"4\" nameend=\"c16\" namest=\"c13\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eMI\u0026thinsp;+\u0026thinsp;WHC\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colspan=\"5\" nameend=\"c21\" namest=\"c17\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eNPK\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colspan=\"1\" nameend=\"c22\" namest=\"c22\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/th\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/thead\u003e\u003ctbody\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"4\" nameend=\"c4\" namest=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003epH\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"3\" nameend=\"c7\" namest=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e6.50\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.02\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"3\" nameend=\"c10\" namest=\"c8\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e8.10\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.02\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c11\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e9.60\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.03\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"4\" nameend=\"c15\" namest=\"c12\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e9.90\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.03\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"6\" nameend=\"c21\" namest=\"c16\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e5.00\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.03\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"1\" nameend=\"c22\" namest=\"c22\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"4\" nameend=\"c4\" namest=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eE/C (\u0026micro;s/cm)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"3\" nameend=\"c7\" namest=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e112.00\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.10\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"3\" nameend=\"c10\" namest=\"c8\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e115.00\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.10\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c11\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e113.0\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.06\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"4\" nameend=\"c15\" namest=\"c12\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e114.00\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.03\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"6\" nameend=\"c21\" namest=\"c16\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e123.00\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.03\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"1\" nameend=\"c22\" namest=\"c22\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"4\" nameend=\"c4\" namest=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eNitrate (mg/kg)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"3\" nameend=\"c7\" namest=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e7.00\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.01\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"3\" nameend=\"c10\" namest=\"c8\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e25.0\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.03\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c11\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e28.0\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.03\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"4\" nameend=\"c15\" namest=\"c12\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e37.0\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.03\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"6\" nameend=\"c21\" namest=\"c16\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e22.0\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.03\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"1\" nameend=\"c22\" namest=\"c22\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"4\" nameend=\"c4\" namest=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003ePotassium (mg/kg)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"3\" nameend=\"c7\" namest=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e6.10\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.03\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"3\" nameend=\"c10\" namest=\"c8\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e20.0\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.02\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c11\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e18.10\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.00\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"4\" nameend=\"c15\" namest=\"c12\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e24.20\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.05\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"6\" nameend=\"c21\" namest=\"c16\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e19.90\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.05\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"1\" nameend=\"c22\" namest=\"c22\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"4\" nameend=\"c4\" namest=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eTotal organic carbon (%)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"3\" nameend=\"c7\" namest=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e3.50\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.01\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"3\" nameend=\"c10\" namest=\"c8\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e4.00\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.01\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c11\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e6.90\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.00\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"4\" nameend=\"c15\" namest=\"c12\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e9.00\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.04\u003csup\u003ec\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"6\" nameend=\"c21\" namest=\"c16\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e6.30\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.02\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"1\" nameend=\"c22\" namest=\"c22\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"4\" nameend=\"c4\" namest=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eTotal organic matter (%)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"3\" nameend=\"c7\" namest=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e3.68\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.13\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"3\" nameend=\"c10\" namest=\"c8\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e6.84\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.23\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c11\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e7.15\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.14\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"4\" nameend=\"c15\" namest=\"c12\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e9.94\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.26\u003csup\u003ec\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"6\" nameend=\"c21\" namest=\"c16\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e5.15\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.02\u003csup\u003ed\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"1\" nameend=\"c22\" namest=\"c22\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"4\" nameend=\"c4\" namest=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003ePhosphate Po\u003csub\u003e4\u003c/sub\u003e\u0026thinsp;\u003csup\u003e\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;3\u003c/sup\u003e(mg/kg)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"3\" nameend=\"c7\" namest=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e6.20\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.01\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"3\" nameend=\"c10\" namest=\"c8\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e13.20\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.02\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c11\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e16.00\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.01\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"4\" nameend=\"c15\" namest=\"c12\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e20.20\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.03\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"6\" nameend=\"c21\" namest=\"c16\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e14.50\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.02\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"1\" nameend=\"c22\" namest=\"c22\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"4\" nameend=\"c4\" namest=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eMagnesium (mg/kg)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"3\" nameend=\"c7\" namest=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e2.10\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.03\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"3\" nameend=\"c10\" namest=\"c8\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e2.90\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.02\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c11\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1.00\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.01\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"4\" nameend=\"c15\" namest=\"c12\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e2.30\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.03\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"6\" nameend=\"c21\" namest=\"c16\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e3.00\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.02\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"1\" nameend=\"c22\" namest=\"c22\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"4\" nameend=\"c4\" namest=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eCalcium(mg/kg)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"3\" nameend=\"c7\" namest=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1.20\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.03\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"3\" nameend=\"c10\" namest=\"c8\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e8.70\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.01\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c11\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e10.10\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.01\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"4\" nameend=\"c15\" namest=\"c12\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e27.30\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.03\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"6\" nameend=\"c21\" namest=\"c16\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e8.60\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.02\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"1\" nameend=\"c22\" namest=\"c22\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"4\" nameend=\"c4\" namest=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eSodium(mg/kg)\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eZinc (mg/kg)\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eManganese (mg/kg)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"3\" nameend=\"c7\" namest=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e3.50\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.02\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e2.10\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.02\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e1.50\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.02\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"3\" nameend=\"c10\" namest=\"c8\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e3.50\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.02\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e3.50\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.02\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e3.00\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.02\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c11\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1.10\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.01\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e3.10\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.02\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e2.90\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.02\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"4\" nameend=\"c15\" namest=\"c12\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1.10\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.03\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e6.50\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.02\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e5.50\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.02\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"6\" nameend=\"c21\" namest=\"c16\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1.60\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.02\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e2.50\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.02\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e3.50\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.02\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"1\" nameend=\"c22\" namest=\"c22\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"4\" nameend=\"c4\" namest=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eIron (mg/kg)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"3\" nameend=\"c7\" namest=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.50\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.02\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"3\" nameend=\"c10\" namest=\"c8\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1.10\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.00\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c11\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.10\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.00\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"4\" nameend=\"c15\" namest=\"c12\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.10\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.00\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"6\" nameend=\"c21\" namest=\"c16\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.10\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.02\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"1\" nameend=\"c22\" namest=\"c22\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"4\" nameend=\"c4\" namest=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eMercury (mg/kg)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"3\" nameend=\"c7\" namest=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.10\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.02\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"3\" nameend=\"c10\" namest=\"c8\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.10\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.00\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c11\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.20\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.02\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"4\" nameend=\"c15\" namest=\"c12\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.30\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.01\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"6\" nameend=\"c21\" namest=\"c16\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.10\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.03\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"1\" nameend=\"c22\" namest=\"c22\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"4\" nameend=\"c4\" namest=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eLead (mg/g)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"3\" nameend=\"c7\" namest=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.10\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.02\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"3\" nameend=\"c10\" namest=\"c8\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.00\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.00\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c11\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.00\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.00\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"4\" nameend=\"c15\" namest=\"c12\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.10\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.05\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"6\" nameend=\"c21\" namest=\"c16\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.10\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.01\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"1\" nameend=\"c22\" namest=\"c22\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"4\" nameend=\"c4\" namest=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eCopper (mg/kg)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"3\" nameend=\"c7\" namest=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.00\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.00\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"3\" nameend=\"c10\" namest=\"c8\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.10\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.02\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c12\" namest=\"c11\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.00\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.00\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c14\" namest=\"c13\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.10\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.20\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"7\" nameend=\"c21\" namest=\"c15\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.10\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.02\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"1\" nameend=\"c22\" namest=\"c22\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/tbody\u003e\u003c/colgroup\u003e\u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eKeys: MS\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;Mixed soil MI\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;Microbial Inoculant, WHC\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;Water Hyacinth Compost, NPK\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Potassium Fertilizer. Values bearing different superscript letters \u0026ldquo;a, b, c, d\u0026rdquo; are significantly different (p\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.05) when compared to mixed soils.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv id=\"Sec14\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003eEefect of Biofertilizers on Crop Growth Parameters\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab7\" border=\"1\"\u003e\u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 7\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eShoot length in (cm) of plants after 60 days planting\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/caption\u003e\u003ccolgroup cols=\"6\"\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c5\" colnum=\"5\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c6\" colnum=\"6\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cthead\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003ePlants\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eCS\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eMI\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eWHC\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eMI\u0026thinsp;+\u0026thinsp;WHC\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eNPK\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/thead\u003e\u003ctbody\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eZea mays\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e5.20\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.05\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e5.40\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.07\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e7.90\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.04\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e15.90\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.09\u003csup\u003ec\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e6.40\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.02\u003csup\u003ed\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eAbelmoschus esculentus\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e2.90\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.06\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e4.60\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.03\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e6.20\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.07\u003csup\u003ec\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e11.20\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.12\u003csup\u003ed\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e4.90\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.06\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eCucurbita pepo\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e3.90\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.05\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e4.90\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.04\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e6.70\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.00\u003csup\u003ec\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e13.40\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.03\u003csup\u003ed\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e6.84\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.02\u003csup\u003ec\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/tbody\u003e\u003c/colgroup\u003e\u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eKeys: CS\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;control soil MI\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;Microbial Inoculant, WHC\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;Water Hyacinth Compost, NPK fertilizer\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Potassium. Values bearing different superscript alphabets \u0026ldquo;a, b, c, d\u0026rdquo; across the rows differ significantly (p\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.05).\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab8\" border=\"1\"\u003e\u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 8\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eLeave area in (cm\u003csup\u003e2\u003c/sup\u003e) of plants after 60 days planting\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/caption\u003e\u003ccolgroup cols=\"6\"\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c5\" colnum=\"5\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c6\" colnum=\"6\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cthead\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003ePlants\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eCS\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eMI\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eWHC\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eMI\u0026thinsp;+\u0026thinsp;WHC\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eNPK\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/thead\u003e\u003ctbody\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eZea mays\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1122.00\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.00\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1233.00\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.24\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1222.00\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.00\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1343\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.03\u003csup\u003ec\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1314\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.16\u003csup\u003ed\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eAbelmoschus esculentus\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1120.00\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.20\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1240.00\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.22\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1212.00\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;1.20\u003csup\u003ec\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1338\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.36\u003csup\u003ed\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1311\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;2.47\u003csup\u003ed\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eCucurbita pepo\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1152.00\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.42\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1234.00\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.43\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1312.00\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;3.16\u003csup\u003ec\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1385\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;2.05\u003csup\u003ed\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1345\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;3.68\u003csup\u003ee\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/tbody\u003e\u003c/colgroup\u003e\u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eKeys: CS\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;control soil MI\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;Microbial Inoculant, WHC\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;Water Hyacinth Compost, NPK fertilizer\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Potassium. Values bearing different superscript alphabets \u0026ldquo;a, b, c, d, e\u0026rdquo; across the rows differ significantly (p\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.05).\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab9\" border=\"1\"\u003e\u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 9\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eTotal chlorophyll content in (mg.100g\u003csup\u003e\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;1\u003c/sup\u003e) of plants after 60 days planting\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/caption\u003e\u003ccolgroup cols=\"6\"\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c5\" colnum=\"5\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c6\" colnum=\"6\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cthead\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003ePlants\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eCS\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eMI\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eWHC\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eMI\u0026thinsp;+\u0026thinsp;WHC\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eNPK\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/thead\u003e\u003ctbody\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eZea mays\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e30.36\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;2.23\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e31.43\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;1.55\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e33.40\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;1.94\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e36.67\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;1.41\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e33.23\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;2.04\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eAbelmoschus esculentus\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e31.34\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;2.40\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e30.34\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;1.48\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e31.27\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;1.06\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e37.45\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;1.86\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e32.24\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;2.14\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eCucurbita pepo\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e30.20\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;2.12\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e32.30\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;1.83\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e32.10\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.76\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e35.15\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;1.35\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e34.12\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;2.06\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/tbody\u003e\u003c/colgroup\u003e\u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eKeys: CS\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;control soil MI\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;Microbial Inoculant, WHC\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;Water Hyacinth Compost, NPK fertilizer\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Potassium. Values bearing different superscript alphabets \u0026ldquo;a, b\u0026rdquo; across the rows differ significantly (p\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.05).\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab10\" border=\"1\"\u003e\u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 10\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eGermination rate in (%) of plants after 60 days planting\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/caption\u003e\u003ccolgroup cols=\"6\"\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c5\" colnum=\"5\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c6\" colnum=\"6\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cthead\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003ePlants\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eCS\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eMI\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eWHC\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eMI\u0026thinsp;+\u0026thinsp;WHC\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eNPK\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/thead\u003e\u003ctbody\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eZea mays\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e50.00\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.00\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e60.00\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;5.00\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e80.00\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;4.50\u003csup\u003ec\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e100.00\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;2.50\u003csup\u003ed\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e60.00\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;3.50\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eAbelmoschus esculentus\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e60.00\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.00\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e50.00\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;4.00\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e70.00\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;2.50\u003csup\u003ec\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e90.00\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;3.00\u003csup\u003ed\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e60.00\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;4.00\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eCucurbita pepo\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e40.00\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.00\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e50.00\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.00\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e50.00\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;4.00\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e95.00\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;2.00\u003csup\u003ec\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e50.00\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;2.50\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/tbody\u003e\u003c/colgroup\u003e\u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eKeys: CS\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;control soil MI\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;Microbial Inoculant, WHC\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;Water Hyacinth Compost, NPK fertilizer\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Potassium. Values bearing different superscript alphabets \u0026ldquo;a, b, c, d\u0026rdquo; across the rows differ significantly (p\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.05).\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab11\" border=\"1\"\u003e\u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 11\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eHeight in (cm) of plants after 60 days planting\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/caption\u003e\u003ccolgroup cols=\"6\"\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c5\" colnum=\"5\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c6\" colnum=\"6\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cthead\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003ePlants\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eCS\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eMI\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eWHC\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eMI\u0026thinsp;+\u0026thinsp;WHC\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eNPK\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/thead\u003e\u003ctbody\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eZea mays\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e48.00\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.00\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e50.50\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.45\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e58.40\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.40\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e65.00\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.00\u003csup\u003ec\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e56.00\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.60\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eAbelmoschus esculentus\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e47.80\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;1.50\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e65.50\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;1.00\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e68.60\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;1.80\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e75.00\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.00\u003csup\u003ec\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e51.00\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.46\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eCucurbita pepo\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e40.80\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.40\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e49.40\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.50\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e50.10\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;1.10\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e54.60\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;1.40\u003csup\u003ec\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e51.40\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.80\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/tbody\u003e\u003c/colgroup\u003e\u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eKeys: CS\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;control soil MI\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;Microbial Inoculant, WHC\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;Water Hyacinth Compost, NPK fertilizer\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Potassium. Values bearing different superscript alphabets \u0026ldquo;a, b, c\u0026rdquo; across the rows differ significantly (p\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.05).\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab12\" border=\"1\"\u003e\u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 12\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eYield in (t ha\u003csup\u003e\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;1\u003c/sup\u003e) of plants after 60 days planting\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/caption\u003e\u003ccolgroup cols=\"6\"\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c5\" colnum=\"5\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c6\" colnum=\"6\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cthead\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003ePlants\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eCS\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eMI\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eWHC\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eMI\u0026thinsp;+\u0026thinsp;WHC\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eNPK\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/thead\u003e\u003ctbody\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eZea mays\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e550.00\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;45.40\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e650.00\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;75.60\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e825.00\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;50.70\u003csup\u003ec\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1100.00\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;40.40\u003csup\u003ed\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e670.00\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;60.50\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eAbelmoschus esculentus\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e660.40\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;90.00\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e720.00\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;80.40\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e880.00\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;70.80\u003csup\u003ec\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1080.00\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;80.60\u003csup\u003ed\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e730.00\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;70.90\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eCucurbita pepo\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e520.60\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;85.50\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e610.00\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;60.90\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e625.00\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;85.00\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e980.00\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;70.90\u003csup\u003ec\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e615.20\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;65.60\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/tbody\u003e\u003c/colgroup\u003e\u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eKeys: CS\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;control soil MI\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;Microbial Inoculant, WHC\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;Water Hyacinth Compost, NPK fertilizer\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Potassium. Values bearing different superscript alphabets \u0026ldquo;a, b, c, d\u0026rdquo; across the rows differ significantly (p\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.05).\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv id=\"Sec15\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003eEffects of Biofertilizer on Nutrient Levels\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab13\" border=\"1\"\u003e\u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 13\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eNitrogen level in (mg/kg) of plants after 60 days planting\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/caption\u003e\u003ccolgroup cols=\"6\"\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c5\" colnum=\"5\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c6\" colnum=\"6\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cthead\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003ePlants\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eCS\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eMI\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eWHC\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eMI\u0026thinsp;+\u0026thinsp;WHC\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eNPK\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/thead\u003e\u003ctbody\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eZea mays\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e3.50\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.60\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e14.80\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;2.30\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e16.30\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;2.91\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e18.20\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;2.50\u003csup\u003ec\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e13.20\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;1.72\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eAbelmoschus esculentus\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e3.00\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.70\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e9.00\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;1.60\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e8.80\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.80\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e13.20\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;2.07\u003csup\u003ec\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e9.10\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;1.60\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eCucurbita pepo\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e3.10\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.45\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e9.00\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;1.80\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e8.70\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.66\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e13.80\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;2.04\u003csup\u003ec\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e8.40\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.45\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/tbody\u003e\u003c/colgroup\u003e\u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eKeys: CS\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;control soil MI\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;Microbial Inoculant, WHC\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;Water Hyacinth Compost, NPK fertilizer\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Potassium. Values bearing different superscript alphabets \u0026ldquo;a, b, c\u0026rdquo; across the rows differ significantly (p\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.05).\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab14\" border=\"1\"\u003e\u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 14\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e\u003cp\u003ePhosphorus level in (mg/kg) of plants after 60 days planting\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/caption\u003e\u003ccolgroup cols=\"6\"\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c5\" colnum=\"5\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c6\" colnum=\"6\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cthead\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003ePlants\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eCS\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eMI\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eWHC\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eMI\u0026thinsp;+\u0026thinsp;WHC\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eNPK\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/thead\u003e\u003ctbody\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eZea mays\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e3.00\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.72\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e8.20\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.95\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e9.10\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;1.20\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e15.40\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;2.42\u003csup\u003ec\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e8.10\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.81\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eAbelmoschus esculentus\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e3.00\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.80\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e8.20\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;1.04\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e10.30\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.63\u003csup\u003ec\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e11.40\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;1.17\u003csup\u003ec\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e7.60\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.80\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eCucurbita pepo\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e3.00\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.26\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e8.20\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;1.45\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e9.00\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;1.02\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e14.50\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;1.74\u003csup\u003ec\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e9.15\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.34\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/tbody\u003e\u003c/colgroup\u003e\u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eKeys: CS\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;control soil MI\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;Microbial Inoculant, WHC\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;Water Hyacinth Compost, NPK fertilizer\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Potassium. Values bearing different superscript alphabets \u0026ldquo;a, b, c\u0026rdquo; across the rows differ significantly (p\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.05).\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab15\" border=\"1\"\u003e\u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 15\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e\u003cp\u003ePotassium level in (mg/kg) of plants after 60 days planting\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/caption\u003e\u003ccolgroup cols=\"6\"\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c5\" colnum=\"5\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c6\" colnum=\"6\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cthead\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003ePlants\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eCS\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eMI\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eWHC\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eMI\u0026thinsp;+\u0026thinsp;WHC\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eNPK\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/thead\u003e\u003ctbody\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eZea mays\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e3.60\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.88\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e9.70\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;1.25\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e10.30\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;2.40\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e12.40\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;2.60\u003csup\u003ec\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e9.30\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;1.42\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eAbelmoschus esculentus\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e3.30\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.75\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e9.50\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;1.50\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e8.40\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;1.43\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e16.30\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;1.37\u003csup\u003ec\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e9.35\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;1.30\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eCucurbita pepo\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e3.20\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.58\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e9.85\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;1.67\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e8.90\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;1.52\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e13.30\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;1.45\u003csup\u003ec\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e9.50\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.98\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/tbody\u003e\u003c/colgroup\u003e\u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eKeys: CS\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;control soil MI\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;Microbial Inoculant, WHC\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;Water Hyacinth Compost, NPK fertilizer\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Potassium. Values bearing different superscript alphabets \u0026ldquo;a, b, c\u0026rdquo; across the rows differ significantly (p\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.05).\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab16\" border=\"1\"\u003e\u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 16\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eZinc level in (mg/kg) of plants after 60 days planting\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/caption\u003e\u003ccolgroup cols=\"6\"\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c5\" colnum=\"5\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c6\" colnum=\"6\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cthead\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003ePlants\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eCS\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eMI\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eWHC\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eMI\u0026thinsp;+\u0026thinsp;WHC\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eNPK\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/thead\u003e\u003ctbody\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eZea mays\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1.20\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.24\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e2.20\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.85\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1.90\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.60\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e3.50\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.92\u003csup\u003ec\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1.50\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.31\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eAbelmoschus esculentus\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1.00\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.62\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e2.00\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.44\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1.00\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.43\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e3.30\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.27\u003csup\u003ec\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1.20\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.40\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eCucurbita pepo\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1.00\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.20\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e2.10\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.52\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1.30\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.35\u003csup\u003ec\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e3.00\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.54\u003csup\u003ed\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1.00\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.24\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/tbody\u003e\u003c/colgroup\u003e\u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eKeys: CS\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;control soil MI\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;Microbial Inoculant, WHC\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;Water Hyacinth Compost, NPK fertilizer\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Potassium. Values bearing different superscript alphabets \u0026ldquo;a, b, c, d\u0026rdquo; across the rows differ significantly (p\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.05).\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab17\" border=\"1\"\u003e\u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 17\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eManganese level in (mg/kg) of plants after 60 days planting\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/caption\u003e\u003ccolgroup cols=\"6\"\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c5\" colnum=\"5\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c6\" colnum=\"6\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cthead\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003ePlants\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eCS\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eMI\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eWHC\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eMI\u0026thinsp;+\u0026thinsp;WHC\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eNPK\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/thead\u003e\u003ctbody\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eZea mays\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.90\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.32\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1.70\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.35\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1.30\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.41\u003csup\u003ec\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e3.00\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.62\u003csup\u003ed\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1.68\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.54\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eAbelmoschus esculentus\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1.20\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.43\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1.20\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.24\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1.20\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.43\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e3.00\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.47\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1.21\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.30\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eCucurbita pepo\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1.00\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.37\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1.10\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.37\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1.10\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.22\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e2.80\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.94\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1.10\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.12\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/tbody\u003e\u003c/colgroup\u003e\u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eKeys: CS\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;control soil MI\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;Microbial Inoculant, WHC\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;Water Hyacinth Compost, NPK fertilizer\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Potassium. Values bearing different superscript alphabets \u0026ldquo;a, b, c, d\u0026rdquo; across the rows differ significantly (p\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.05).\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv id=\"Sec16\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003eMolecular Characteristics of Isolates\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eFour bacteria strains were isolated from the Genbank characteristics as shown in Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab18\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e18\u003c/span\u003e while Fig.\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Fig2\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e2\u003c/span\u003e reveal the 16S rRNA PCR bands from the isolates (\u003cem\u003esee supplementary file for further explanation\u003c/em\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab18\" border=\"1\"\u003e\u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 18\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eGenbank characteristics (strain, name of organism, closest GenBank, percentage identity and accession number) of the bacterial isolates\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/caption\u003e\u003ccolgroup cols=\"6\"\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c5\" colnum=\"5\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c6\" colnum=\"6\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cthead\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eS/N\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eStrain\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eOrganisms (isolated)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eClosest GenBank Match\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eSimilarity (%)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eAccession No\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/thead\u003e\u003ctbody\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003ePA4\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eBacillus cereus\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eBacillus cereus\u003c/em\u003e strain JCM 2152\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e99.64\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eOR105044\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e2\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003ePA6\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eBacillus cereus\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eBacillus cereus\u003c/em\u003e strain IAM 12605\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e100\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eOR105045\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e3\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003ePA7\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eBacillus fungorum\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eBacillus fungorum\u003c/em\u003e strain 17 SMS-01\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e99.64\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eOR105046\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e4\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003ePA11\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eBacillus paramycoides\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eBacillus paramycoides\u003c/em\u003e strain\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eMCC IA04098\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e99.64\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eOR105047\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/tbody\u003e\u003c/colgroup\u003e\u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ePlease insert Fig.\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Fig2\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e2\u003c/span\u003e here.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv id=\"Sec17\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003eImpact of Biofertilizers on Plant Hormones\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab19\" border=\"1\"\u003e\u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 19\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eIndole-3-acetic acid (IAA) in crop leaves\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/caption\u003e\u003ccolgroup cols=\"15\"\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c5\" colnum=\"5\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c6\" colnum=\"6\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c7\" colnum=\"7\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c8\" colnum=\"8\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c9\" colnum=\"9\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c10\" colnum=\"10\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c11\" colnum=\"11\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c12\" colnum=\"12\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c13\" colnum=\"13\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c14\" colnum=\"14\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c15\" colnum=\"15\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cthead\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eTreatments\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colspan=\"4\" nameend=\"c5\" namest=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eZea mays\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colspan=\"4\" nameend=\"c9\" namest=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eAbelmoschus esculentus\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colspan=\"6\" nameend=\"c15\" namest=\"c10\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eCucurbita pepo\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eLOD (ng/ml)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eLOQ (ng/ml)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eHormone conc (pmol/g FW)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eRSD (%)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eLOD (ng/ml)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eLOQ (ng/ml)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eHormone conc (pmol/g FW)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c9\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eRSD (%)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c10\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eLOD (ng/ml)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c12\" namest=\"c11\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eLOQ (ng/ml)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c13\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eHormone conc (pmol/g FW)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c14\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eRSD (%)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colspan=\"1\" nameend=\"c15\" namest=\"c15\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/th\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/thead\u003e\u003ctbody\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eCS\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.1\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.6\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e95.15\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;2.36\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e4.5\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.1\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.6\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e92.10\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;4.15\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c9\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e7.3\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c11\" namest=\"c10\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.1\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c12\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.6\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c13\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e81.20\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;8.07\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c14\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e3.8\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"1\" nameend=\"c15\" namest=\"c15\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eMI\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.4\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1.8\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e208.50\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;7.60\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e5.2\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.5\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1.3\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e211.40\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;5.20\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c9\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e3.1\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c11\" namest=\"c10\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.3\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c12\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1.3\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c13\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e158.80\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;11.60\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c14\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e4.7\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"1\" nameend=\"c15\" namest=\"c15\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eWHC\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.2\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.5\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e213.80\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;6.50\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e25.6\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.3\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.4\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e207.30\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;16.10\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c9\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e16.2\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c11\" namest=\"c10\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.1\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c12\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.4\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c13\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e163.10\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;9.30\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c14\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e12.5\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"1\" nameend=\"c15\" namest=\"c15\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eMI\u0026thinsp;+\u0026thinsp;WHC\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.1\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.3\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e740.70\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;15.20\u003csup\u003ec\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e28.7\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.2\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0. 4\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e688.60\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;23.40\u003csup\u003ec\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c9\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e38.6\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c11\" namest=\"c10\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.1\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c12\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.5\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c13\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e590.40\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;17.30\u003csup\u003ec\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c14\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e18.0\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"1\" nameend=\"c15\" namest=\"c15\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eNPK\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.1\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.6\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e192.90\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;12.42\u003csup\u003ed\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e7.4\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.2\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.5\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e209.70\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;17.25\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c9\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e6.0\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c11\" namest=\"c10\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.1\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c12\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.4\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c13\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e129.50\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;8.13\u003csup\u003ed\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c14\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e7.2\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"1\" nameend=\"c15\" namest=\"c15\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/tbody\u003e\u003c/colgroup\u003e\u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eKeys: CS\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;control soil MI\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;Microbial Inoculant, WHC\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;Water Hyacinth Compost, NPK fertilizer\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Potassium, LOD\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;limit of detection, LOQ\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;limit of quantification, RSD\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;relative standard deviation, FW\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;fresh weight. Values bearing different superscript alphabets \u0026ldquo;a, b, c, d\u0026rdquo; down the columns differ significantly (p\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.05).\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab20\" border=\"1\"\u003e\u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 20\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eGibberellin A\u003csub\u003e4\u003c/sub\u003e (GA\u003csub\u003e4\u003c/sub\u003e) in crop leaves\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/caption\u003e\u003ccolgroup cols=\"14\"\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c5\" colnum=\"5\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c6\" colnum=\"6\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c7\" colnum=\"7\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c8\" colnum=\"8\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c9\" colnum=\"9\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c10\" colnum=\"10\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c11\" colnum=\"11\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c12\" colnum=\"12\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c13\" colnum=\"13\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c14\" colnum=\"14\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cthead\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eTreatments\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colspan=\"4\" nameend=\"c5\" namest=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eZea mays\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colspan=\"4\" nameend=\"c9\" namest=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eAbelmoschus esculentus\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colspan=\"5\" nameend=\"c14\" namest=\"c10\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eCucurbita pepo\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eLOD (ng/ml)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eLOQ (ng/ml)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eHormone conc (pmol/g FW)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eRSD (%)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eLOD (ng/ml)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eLOQ (ng/ml)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eHormone conc (pmol/g FW)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c9\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eRSD (%)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c10\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eLOD (ng/ml)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c11\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eLOQ (ng/ml)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c12\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eHormone conc (pmol/g FW)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c13\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eRSD (%)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colspan=\"1\" nameend=\"c14\" namest=\"c14\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/th\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/thead\u003e\u003ctbody\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eCS\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.1\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.6\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e3.26\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.25\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e4.5\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.1\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.6\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e5.62\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.83\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c9\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e7.3\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c10\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.1\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c11\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.6\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c12\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e4.30\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.61\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c13\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e3.8\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"1\" nameend=\"c14\" namest=\"c14\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eMI\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.4\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1.8\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e3.42\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.70\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e5.2\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.5\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1.3\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e5.60\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.62\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c9\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e3.1\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c10\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.3\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c11\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1.3\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c12\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e4.34\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.48\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c13\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e4.7\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"1\" nameend=\"c14\" namest=\"c14\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eWHC\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.2\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.5\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eN.D\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e25.6\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.3\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.4\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e5.71\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;1.50\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c9\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e16.2\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c10\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.1\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c11\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.4\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c12\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e4.47\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.52\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c13\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e12.5\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"1\" nameend=\"c14\" namest=\"c14\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eMI\u0026thinsp;+\u0026thinsp;WHC\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.1\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.3\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e8.40\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.93\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e28.7\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.2\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0. 4\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e8.94\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;1.76\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c9\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e38.6\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c10\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.1\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c11\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.5\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c12\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e9.60\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.41\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c13\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e18.0\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"1\" nameend=\"c14\" namest=\"c14\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eNPK\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.1\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.6\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e3.30\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.22\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e7.4\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.2\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.5\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e6.92\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;1.40\u003csup\u003ec\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c9\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e6.0\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c10\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.1\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c11\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.4\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c12\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e4.31\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.22\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c13\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e7.2\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"1\" nameend=\"c14\" namest=\"c14\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/tbody\u003e\u003c/colgroup\u003e\u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eKeys: CS\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;control soil MI\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;Microbial Inoculant, WHC\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;Water Hyacinth Compost, NPK fertilizer\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Potassium, LOD\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;limit of detection, LOQ\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;limit of quantification, RSD\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;relative standard deviation, FW\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;fresh weight., N.D\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;not detected. Values bearing different superscript alphabets \u0026ldquo;a, b, c\u0026rdquo; down the columns differ significantly (p\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.05).\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab21\" border=\"1\"\u003e\u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 21\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eAbscisic acid (ABA) in crop leaves\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/caption\u003e\u003ccolgroup cols=\"14\"\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c5\" colnum=\"5\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c6\" colnum=\"6\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c7\" colnum=\"7\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c8\" colnum=\"8\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c9\" colnum=\"9\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c10\" colnum=\"10\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c11\" colnum=\"11\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c12\" colnum=\"12\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c13\" colnum=\"13\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c14\" colnum=\"14\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cthead\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eTreatments\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colspan=\"4\" nameend=\"c5\" namest=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eZea mays\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colspan=\"4\" nameend=\"c9\" namest=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eAbelmoschus esculentus\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colspan=\"5\" nameend=\"c14\" namest=\"c10\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eCucurbita pepo\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eLOD (ng/ml)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eLOQ (ng/ml)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eHormone conc (pmol/g FW)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eRSD (%)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eLOD (ng/ml)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eLOQ (ng/ml)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eHormone conc (pmol/g FW)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c9\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eRSD (%)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c10\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eLOD (ng/ml)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c11\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eLOQ (ng/ml)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c12\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eHormone conc (pmol/g FW)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c13\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eRSD (%)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colspan=\"1\" nameend=\"c14\" namest=\"c14\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/th\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/thead\u003e\u003ctbody\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eCS\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.1\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.6\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e182.50\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;4.11\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e4.5\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.1\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.6\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e177.40\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;3.20\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c9\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e7.3\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c10\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.1\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c11\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.6\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c12\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e168.60\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;5.07\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c13\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e3.8\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"1\" nameend=\"c14\" namest=\"c14\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eMI\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.4\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1.8\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e153.60\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;5.60\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e5.2\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.5\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1.3\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e146.94\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;5.20\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c9\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e3.1\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c10\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.3\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c11\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1.3\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c12\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e148.20\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;8.60\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c13\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e4.7\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"1\" nameend=\"c14\" namest=\"c14\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eWHC\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.2\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.5\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e147.70\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;6.50\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e25.6\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.3\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.4\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e150.06\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;6.20\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c9\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e16.2\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c10\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.1\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c11\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.4\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c12\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e151.30\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;7.30\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c13\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e12.5\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"1\" nameend=\"c14\" namest=\"c14\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eMI\u0026thinsp;+\u0026thinsp;WHC\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.1\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.3\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e139.90\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;15.20\u003csup\u003ec\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e28.7\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.2\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0. 4\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e132.42\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;5.10\u003csup\u003ec\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c9\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e38.6\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c10\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.1\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c11\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.5\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c12\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e147.20\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;6.30\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c13\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e18.0\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"1\" nameend=\"c14\" namest=\"c14\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eNPK\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.1\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.6\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e216.80\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;12.42\u003csup\u003ed\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e7.4\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.2\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.5\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e210.10\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;5.15\u003csup\u003ed\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c9\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e6.0\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c10\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.1\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c11\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.4\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c12\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e199.40\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;7.23\u003csup\u003ec\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c13\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e7.2\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"1\" nameend=\"c14\" namest=\"c14\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/tbody\u003e\u003c/colgroup\u003e\u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eKeys: CS\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;control soil MI\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;Microbial Inoculant, WHC\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;Water Hyacinth Compost, NPK fertilizer\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Potassium, LOD\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;limit of detection, LOQ\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;limit of quantification, RSD\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;relative standard deviation, FW\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;fresh weight. Values bearing different superscript alphabets \u0026ldquo;a, b, c, d\u0026rdquo; down the columns differ significantly (p\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.05).\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab22\" border=\"1\"\u003e\u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 22\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003ecis\u003c/em\u003e-Zeatin (cZ) in crop leaves\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/caption\u003e\u003ccolgroup cols=\"13\"\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c5\" colnum=\"5\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c6\" colnum=\"6\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c7\" colnum=\"7\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c8\" colnum=\"8\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c9\" colnum=\"9\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c10\" colnum=\"10\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c11\" colnum=\"11\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c12\" colnum=\"12\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c13\" colnum=\"13\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cthead\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eTreatments\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colspan=\"4\" nameend=\"c5\" namest=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eZea mays\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colspan=\"4\" nameend=\"c9\" namest=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eAbelmoschus esculentus\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colspan=\"4\" nameend=\"c13\" namest=\"c10\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eCucurbita pepo\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eLOD (ng/ml)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eLOQ (ng/ml)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eHormone conc (pmol/g FW)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eRSD (%)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eLOD (ng/ml)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eLOQ (ng/ml)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eHormone conc (pmol/g FW)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c9\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eRSD (%)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c10\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eLOD (ng/ml)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c11\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eLOQ (ng/ml)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c12\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eHormone conc (pmol/g FW)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c13\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eRSD (%)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/thead\u003e\u003ctbody\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eCS\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.1\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.6\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e79.45\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;2.30\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e4.5\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.1\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.6\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e59.22\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;2.20\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c9\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e7.3\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c10\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.1\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c11\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.6\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c12\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e63.61\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;3.15\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c13\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e3.8\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eMI\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.4\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1.8\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e81.43\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;4.10\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e5.2\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.5\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1.3\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e59.40\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;4.33\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c9\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e3.1\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c10\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.3\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c11\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1.3\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c12\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e62.80\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;1.98\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c13\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e4.7\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eWHC\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.2\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.5\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e84.50\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;2.90\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e25.6\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.3\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.4\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e59.10\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;5.34\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c9\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e16.2\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c10\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.1\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c11\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.4\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c12\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e64.52\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;4.20\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c13\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e12.5\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eMI\u0026thinsp;+\u0026thinsp;WHC\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.1\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.3\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e87.73\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;6.20\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e28.7\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.2\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0. 4\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e60.54\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;3.25\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c9\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e38.6\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c10\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.1\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c11\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.5\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c12\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e63.70\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;6.40\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c13\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e18.0\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eNPK\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.1\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.6\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e85.60\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;4.55\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e7.4\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.2\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.5\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e58.90\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;2.88\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c9\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e6.0\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c10\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.1\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c11\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.4\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c12\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e64.22\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;2.23\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c13\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e7.2\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/tbody\u003e\u003c/colgroup\u003e\u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eKeys: CS\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;control soil MI\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;Microbial Inoculant, WHC\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;Water Hyacinth Compost, NPK fertilizer\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Potassium, LOD\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;limit of detection, LOQ\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;limit of quantification, RSD\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;relative standard deviation, FW\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;fresh weight. There was no significant difference (p\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.05) in the comparisons made.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab23\" border=\"1\"\u003e\u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 23\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eIndole-3-acetic acid (IAA) in crop shoot\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/caption\u003e\u003ccolgroup cols=\"14\"\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c5\" colnum=\"5\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c6\" colnum=\"6\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c7\" colnum=\"7\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c8\" colnum=\"8\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c9\" colnum=\"9\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c10\" colnum=\"10\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c11\" colnum=\"11\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c12\" colnum=\"12\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c13\" colnum=\"13\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c14\" colnum=\"14\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cthead\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eTreatments\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colspan=\"4\" nameend=\"c5\" namest=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eZea mays\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colspan=\"4\" nameend=\"c9\" namest=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eAbelmoschus esculentus\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colspan=\"5\" nameend=\"c14\" namest=\"c10\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eCucurbita pepo\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eLOD (ng/ml)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eLOQ (ng/ml)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eHormone conc (pmol/g FW)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eRSD (%)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eLOD (ng/ml)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eLOQ (ng/ml)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eHormone conc (pmol/g FW)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c9\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eRSD (%)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c10\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eLOD (ng/ml)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c11\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eLOQ (ng/ml)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c12\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eHormone conc (pmol/g FW)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c13\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eRSD (%)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colspan=\"1\" nameend=\"c14\" namest=\"c14\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/th\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/thead\u003e\u003ctbody\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eCS\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.1\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.6\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e98.20\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;4.53\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e4.5\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.1\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.6\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e96.30\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;8.20\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c9\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e7.3\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c10\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.1\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c11\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.6\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c12\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e86.44\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;7.17\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c13\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e3.8\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"1\" nameend=\"c14\" namest=\"c14\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eMI\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.4\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1.8\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e212.30\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;9.54\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e5.2\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.5\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1.3\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e217.22\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;9.35\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c9\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e3.1\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c10\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.3\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c11\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1.3\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c12\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e152.40\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;8.30\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c13\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e4.7\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"1\" nameend=\"c14\" namest=\"c14\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eWHC\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.2\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.5\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e214.44\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;10.50\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e25.6\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.3\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.4\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e207.60\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;12.40\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c9\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e16.2\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c10\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.1\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c11\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.4\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c12\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e156.70\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;12.42\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c13\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e12.5\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"1\" nameend=\"c14\" namest=\"c14\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eMI\u0026thinsp;+\u0026thinsp;WHC\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.1\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.3\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e690.30\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;8.95\u003csup\u003ec\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e28.7\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.2\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0. 4\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e689.70\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;9.66\u003csup\u003ec\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c9\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e38.6\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c10\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.1\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c11\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.5\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c12\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e598.78\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;9.40\u003csup\u003ec\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c13\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e18.0\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"1\" nameend=\"c14\" namest=\"c14\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eNPK\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.1\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.6\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e187.40\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;6.92\u003csup\u003ed\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e7.4\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.2\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.5\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e211.80\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;10.30\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c9\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e6.0\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c10\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.1\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c11\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.4\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c12\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e131.65\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;7.20\u003csup\u003ed\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c13\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e7.2\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"1\" nameend=\"c14\" namest=\"c14\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/tbody\u003e\u003c/colgroup\u003e\u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eKeys: CS\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;control soil MI\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;Microbial Inoculant, WHC\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;Water Hyacinth Compost, NPK fertilizer\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Potassium, LOD\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;limit of detection, LOQ\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;limit of quantification, RSD\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;relative standard deviation, FW\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;fresh weight. Values bearing different superscript alphabets \u0026ldquo;a, b, c, d\u0026rdquo; down the columns differ significantly (p\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.05).\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab24\" border=\"1\"\u003e\u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 24\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eGibberellin A\u003csub\u003e4\u003c/sub\u003e (GA\u003csub\u003e4\u003c/sub\u003e) in crop shoot\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/caption\u003e\u003ccolgroup cols=\"13\"\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c5\" colnum=\"5\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c6\" colnum=\"6\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c7\" colnum=\"7\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c8\" colnum=\"8\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c9\" colnum=\"9\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c10\" colnum=\"10\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c11\" colnum=\"11\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c12\" colnum=\"12\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c13\" colnum=\"13\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cthead\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eTreatments\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colspan=\"4\" nameend=\"c5\" namest=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eZea mays\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colspan=\"4\" nameend=\"c9\" namest=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eAbelmoschus esculentus\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colspan=\"4\" nameend=\"c13\" namest=\"c10\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eCucurbita pepo\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eLOD (ng/ml)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eLOQ (ng/ml)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eHormone conc (pmol/g FW)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eRSD (%)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eLOD (ng/ml)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eLOQ (ng/ml)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eHormone conc (pmol/g FW)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c9\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eRSD (%)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c10\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eLOD (ng/ml)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c11\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eLOQ (ng/ml)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c12\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eHormone conc (pmol/g FW)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c13\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eRSD (%)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/thead\u003e\u003ctbody\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eCS\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.1\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.6\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e5.17\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.52\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e4.5\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.1\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.6\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e7.24\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;1.27\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c9\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e7.3\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c10\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.1\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c11\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.6\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c12\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e6.82\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.73\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c13\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e3.8\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eMI\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.4\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1.8\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e5.34\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.68\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e5.2\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.5\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1.3\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e7.72\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.97\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c9\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e3.1\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c10\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.3\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c11\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1.3\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c12\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e6.88\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.57\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c13\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e4.7\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eWHC\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.2\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.5\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e2.64\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.83\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e25.6\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.3\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.4\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e7.80\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;2.21\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c9\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e16.2\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c10\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.1\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c11\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.4\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c12\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e6.91\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.61\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c13\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e12.5\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eMI\u0026thinsp;+\u0026thinsp;WHC\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.1\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.3\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e11.32\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.72\u003csup\u003ec\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e28.7\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.2\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0. 4\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e12.10\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;2.15\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c9\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e38.6\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c10\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.1\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c11\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.5\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c12\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e12.77\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.54\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c13\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e18.0\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eNPK\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.1\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.6\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e5.20\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.43\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e7.4\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.2\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.5\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e7.81\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;2.05\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c9\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e6.0\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c10\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.1\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c11\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.4\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c12\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e6.83\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.34\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c13\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e7.2\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/tbody\u003e\u003c/colgroup\u003e\u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eKeys: CS\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;control soil MI\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;Microbial Inoculant, WHC\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;Water Hyacinth Compost, NPK fertilizer\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Potassium, LOD\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;limit of detection, LOQ\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;limit of quantification, RSD\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;relative standard deviation, FW\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;fresh weight. N.D\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;not detected. Values bearing different superscript alphabets \u0026ldquo;a, b, c\u0026rdquo; down the columns differ significantly (p\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.05).\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab25\" border=\"1\"\u003e\u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 25\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eAbscisic acid (ABA) in crop shoot\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/caption\u003e\u003ccolgroup cols=\"14\"\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c5\" colnum=\"5\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c6\" colnum=\"6\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c7\" colnum=\"7\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c8\" colnum=\"8\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c9\" colnum=\"9\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c10\" colnum=\"10\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c11\" colnum=\"11\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c12\" colnum=\"12\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c13\" colnum=\"13\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c14\" colnum=\"14\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cthead\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eTreatments\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colspan=\"4\" nameend=\"c5\" namest=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eZea mays\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colspan=\"4\" nameend=\"c9\" namest=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eAbelmoschus esculentus\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colspan=\"5\" nameend=\"c14\" namest=\"c10\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eCucurbita pepo\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eLOD (ng/ml)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eLOQ (ng/ml)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eHormone conc (pmol/g FW)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eRSD (%)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eLOD (ng/ml)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eLOQ (ng/ml)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eHormone conc (pmol/g FW)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c9\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eRSD (%)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c10\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eLOD (ng/ml)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c11\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eLOQ (ng/ml)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c12\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eHormone conc (pmol/g FW)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c13\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eRSD (%)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colspan=\"1\" nameend=\"c14\" namest=\"c14\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/th\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/thead\u003e\u003ctbody\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eCS\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.1\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.6\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e154.20\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;6.27\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e4.5\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.1\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.6\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e147.20\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;3.61\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c9\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e7.3\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c10\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.1\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c11\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.6\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c12\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e153.56\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;3.15\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c13\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e3.8\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"1\" nameend=\"c14\" namest=\"c14\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eMI\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.4\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1.8\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e138.40\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;8.23\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e5.2\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.5\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1.3\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e126.30\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;3.42\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c9\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e3.1\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c10\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.3\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c11\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1.3\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c12\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e139.42\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;9.20\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c13\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e4.7\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"1\" nameend=\"c14\" namest=\"c14\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eWHC\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.2\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.5\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e139.62\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;7.20\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e25.6\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.3\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.4\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e128.40\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;4.30\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c9\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e16.2\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c10\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.1\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c11\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.4\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c12\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e137.34\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;8.20\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c13\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e12.5\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"1\" nameend=\"c14\" namest=\"c14\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eMI\u0026thinsp;+\u0026thinsp;WHC\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.1\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.3\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e122.32\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;7.50\u003csup\u003ec\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e28.7\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.2\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0. 4\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e123.70\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;4.32\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c9\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e38.6\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c10\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.1\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c11\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.5\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c12\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e126.85\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;4.54\u003csup\u003ec\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c13\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e18.0\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"1\" nameend=\"c14\" namest=\"c14\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eNPK\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.1\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.6\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e184.62\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;8.20\u003csup\u003ed\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e7.4\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.2\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.5\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e191.30\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;4.20\u003csup\u003ec\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c9\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e6.0\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c10\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.1\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c11\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.4\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c12\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e176.82\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;5.08\u003csup\u003ed\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c13\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e7.2\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"1\" nameend=\"c14\" namest=\"c14\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/tbody\u003e\u003c/colgroup\u003e\u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eKeys: CS\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;control soil MI\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;Microbial Inoculant, WHC\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;Water Hyacinth Compost, NPK fertilizer\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Potassium, LOD\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;limit of detection, LOQ\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;limit of quantification, RSD\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;relative standard deviation, FW\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;fresh weight. Values bearing different superscript alphabets \u0026ldquo;a, b, c, d\u0026rdquo; down the columns differ significantly (p\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.05).\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab26\" border=\"1\"\u003e\u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 26\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003ecis\u003c/em\u003e-Zeatin (cZ) in crop shoot\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/caption\u003e\u003ccolgroup cols=\"16\"\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c5\" colnum=\"5\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c6\" colnum=\"6\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c7\" colnum=\"7\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c8\" colnum=\"8\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c9\" colnum=\"9\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c10\" colnum=\"10\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c11\" colnum=\"11\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c12\" colnum=\"12\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c13\" colnum=\"13\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c14\" colnum=\"14\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c15\" colnum=\"15\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c16\" colnum=\"16\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cthead\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eTreatments\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colspan=\"5\" nameend=\"c6\" namest=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eZea mays\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colspan=\"5\" nameend=\"c11\" namest=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eAbelmoschus esculentus\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colspan=\"5\" nameend=\"c16\" namest=\"c12\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eCucurbita pepo\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eLOD (ng/ml)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eLOQ (ng/ml)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eHormone conc (pmol/g FW)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eRSD (%)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c7\" namest=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eLOD (ng/ml)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eLOQ (ng/ml)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c9\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eHormone conc (pmol/g FW)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c10\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eRSD (%)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c12\" namest=\"c11\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eLOD (ng/ml)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c13\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eLOQ (ng/ml)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c14\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eHormone conc (pmol/g FW)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c15\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eRSD (%)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colspan=\"1\" nameend=\"c16\" namest=\"c16\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/th\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/thead\u003e\u003ctbody\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eCS\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.1\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.6\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e85.60\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;3.41\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e4.5\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c7\" namest=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.1\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.6\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c9\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e64.50\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;8.16\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c10\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e7.3\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c12\" namest=\"c11\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.1\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c13\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.6\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c14\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e65.70\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;2.70\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c15\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e3.8\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"1\" nameend=\"c16\" namest=\"c16\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eMI\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.4\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1.8\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e87.20\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;2.63\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e5.2\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c7\" namest=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.5\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1.3\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c9\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e65.92\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;7.21\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c10\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e3.1\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c12\" namest=\"c11\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.3\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c13\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1.3\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c14\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e67.92\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;3.50\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c15\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e4.7\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"1\" nameend=\"c16\" namest=\"c16\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eWHC\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.2\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.5\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e86.90\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;3.25\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e25.6\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c7\" namest=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.3\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.4\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c9\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e65.80\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;8.22\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c10\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e16.2\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c12\" namest=\"c11\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.1\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c13\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.4\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c14\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e67.97\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;2.32\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c15\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e12.5\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"1\" nameend=\"c16\" namest=\"c16\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eMI\u0026thinsp;+\u0026thinsp;WHC\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.1\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.3\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e88.12\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;4.15\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e28.7\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c7\" namest=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.2\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0. 4\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c9\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e67.64\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;7.12\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c10\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e38.6\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c12\" namest=\"c11\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.1\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c13\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.5\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c14\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e68.25\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;3.25\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c15\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e18.0\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"1\" nameend=\"c16\" namest=\"c16\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eNPK\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.1\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.6\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e86.30\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;3.36\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e7.4\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c7\" namest=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.2\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.5\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c9\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e65.45\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;3.60\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c10\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e6.0\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c12\" namest=\"c11\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.1\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c13\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.4\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c14\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e68.10\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;4.10\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c15\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e7.2\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"1\" nameend=\"c16\" namest=\"c16\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/tbody\u003e\u003c/colgroup\u003e\u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eKeys: CS\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;control soil MI\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;Microbial Inoculant, WHC\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;Water Hyacinth Compost, NPK fertilizer\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Potassium, LOD\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;limit of detection, LOQ\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;limit of quantification, RSD\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;relative standard deviation, FW\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;fresh weight. There was no significant difference (p\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.05) in the comparisons made.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e"},{"header":"Discussion","content":"\u003cdiv id=\"Sec19\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003eMicrobial analysis of samples\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eSoil recorded highest THBC within the range of 31.0 x 10\u003csup\u003e8\u003c/sup\u003e -100.66 x 10\u003csup\u003e9\u003c/sup\u003ecfu/. The outcome demonstrates that the native bacterial community can flourish and proliferate in the environment. Ibiene et al. (2011) and Eze and Okpokwasili (2011) both made a similar finding. The THBC and HUB in the present study are higher than values reported by Douglas (2018), where mean THBC ranged from 35.0 x 10\u003csup\u003e8\u003c/sup\u003e to 99.3 x 10\u003csup\u003e8\u003c/sup\u003eCFU/g. However, HUB which ranged from 4.2 x 10\u003csup\u003e8\u003c/sup\u003e to 6.4 x 10\u003csup\u003e8\u003c/sup\u003eCFU/g was similar in ranged to values reported in the present study. the values for NFB and PSB for Control soil, Etche, Ogbogoro and Choba soils respectively is in the ranged of values obtained by Widawati and Suliasih (2001) in their study of population of nitrogen fixing bacteria and phosphate solubilising bacteria in the rhizosphere.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThese organisms' capacity to repair atmospheric nitrogen is suggested by its development on nitrogen-free substrates. The species of bacteria found in this study using 16S RNA gene sequencing are members of the phosphate-solubilizing and nitrogen-fixing bacterial groups. This data supports the argument made by Ikuesan and Fajolu (2022) that bacteria can be categorized as both nitrogen-fixing and phosphate-solubilizing due to the elevated levels of the enzymes nitrogenase and ACC deaminase, which lower ethylene production in plants.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv id=\"Sec20\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003ePhysicochemical composition of the soil\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe physicochemical parameters of a wetland soil as shown in Tables\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab5\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e5\u003c/span\u003e indicates that a tropical moist forest soils have a low value of Electrical Conductivity (EC); control soil 117.46\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.05\u0026micro;S/cm, Etche: 104.65\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.02 \u0026micro;S/cm, Ogbogoro: 108.38\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.06 \u0026micro;S/cm and Choba 121.52\u0026thinsp;\u003cb\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/b\u003e\u0026thinsp;0.15 respectively. The amount of accessible nutrients in the soil is measured by electrical conductivity. The ability of the soil water to transport an electrical charge is shown by the soil EC value. The soil's EC level is a reliable gauge of how much nutrition is available for crop uptake. An ideal EC level is greater than 100\u0026micro;S/cm. Any soil with EC level below 100 indicates that the plant is not getting adequate nutrients, and it may also indicate a sterile soil with limited microbial activity (Jennifer 2016). The forest soil used in this experiment fall within a good range of EC value which means the soil is highly fertile. The pH of the control soil was 7.23\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.05, Etche was 5.85\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.02; Ogbogoro was 6.58\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.07; Choba was 5.80\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.11 respectively. The soil pH slightly varies from 5.60\u0026ndash;7.23. Control soil has a moderate neutral range while Ogbogoro soil has a slightly neutral range, Choba and Etche forest have a moderate acidic soil, and thus the pH shows acidic in nature. As a result, the soil is neither too alkaline nor acidic, but rather has an average degree of alkalinity that promotes microbial development. This pH result differs from that of Horsfall et al. (2015), who concluded that forest soils are extremely productive but defined them as having a mean pH range of 4.5, which is acidic. All soil treated samples had alkaline pH which supports microbial activities except soil treated with NPK (Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab6\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e6\u003c/span\u003e). This finding is in line with the report of Zhang et al. (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR52\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2023\u003c/span\u003e) who reported improvement of acidity to alkalinity in biofertilizer treated soils used in cultivating spinach. According to Zhang et al. (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR52\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2023\u003c/span\u003e), acidic soil has adverse effect on planted crops as it suppresses growth and increase production of reactive oxygen species which negatively affect plant metabolism.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAdditionally, the soils' organic carbon values range from 2.63% to 3.87% (0\u0026ndash;15% and above) (Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab5\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e5\u003c/span\u003e), suggesting that their organic content is naturally fruitful and this finding is comparable to Horsfall et al. (2015), whose results range from 2.40% to 3.0%. Generally, soil treated with combination of Microbial Inoculant and Water Hyacinth Compost had highest pH, nitrate, potassium, phosphate, calcium, zinc and manganese levels when compared to other treatments (Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab6\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e6\u003c/span\u003e). The electrical conductivity, organic matter, total organic carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, zinc and manganese concentrations were significantly improved in soils treated with biofertilizers than soils without biofertilizer (Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab6\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e6\u003c/span\u003e). The results on the physicochemical analysis of soil samples agree with other studies (Anli et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR12\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2020\u003c/span\u003e; Bertrand et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR16\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2024\u003c/span\u003e) who all reported that soil prior to biofertilization were acidic and had poor mineral nutrients which does not support growth and performance of date palm and okra cultivars respectively.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv id=\"Sec21\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003eThe effect of biofertilizer on growth parameters\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe effects of 0.1 g substrate of various biofertilizer treatments (Mixed soil MI\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;Microbial Inoculant, WHC\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;Water Hyacinth Compost, MI\u0026thinsp;+\u0026thinsp;WHC\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;Microbial Inoculant\u0026thinsp;+\u0026thinsp;Water Hyacinth Compost, and NPK\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Potassium Fertilizer) on growth parameters of \u003cem\u003eCucurbita pepo\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eZea mays\u003c/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eAbelmoscus esculentus\u003c/em\u003e are shown in Tables\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab7\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e7\u003c/span\u003e\u0026ndash;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab12\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e12\u003c/span\u003e. Results showed significant increase in the shoot length, leaves areas, total chlorophyll contents, germination rate, height and yield in these three crops planted in biofertilizer treated soils than control. This implies that the biofertilizer treatments deployed in this study enhanced growth parameters positively. Generally, biofertilizer treatment with combination of microbial inoculum and water hyacinth compost gave the best results on the growth parameters followed by treatment with water hyacinth alone while treatment with microbial inoculum gave the least effect on growth parameters of the three planted crops. The efficiency displayed by the combined treatment of microbial inoculant and water hyacinth compost could be linked to high organic matter content in soil treated with it as well to availability and accessibility of soil nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and magnesium that are required for growth of vegetative parts (Djoufack et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR22\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2025\u003c/span\u003e). Even while chemical fertilizers offer easily accessible nutrients (Ano and Ekefan \u003cspan citationid=\"CR13\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2023\u003c/span\u003e), a sizable amount may be lost as a result of rainfall, which could cause leaching and lower the efficiency of nutrient uptake. Chemical fertilizers have the potential to impede soil compaction by decreasing soil porosity. Furthermore, although having a high nutritional content, inorganic fertilizers lack the growth-promoting substances found in water hyacinth compost and microbial inoculant, which are what increase fertility and production (Sanwal et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR40\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2007\u003c/span\u003e). The growth performance of these three crops increased steadily with increase in period of planting with best growth performance obtained after 60 days, .\u003cem\u003eAbelmoscus esculentus\u003c/em\u003e had the best performance from the biofertilizer treatments which probably tells of its excellent response to soil nutrients (Djoufack et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR22\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2025\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis result agrees with the study of Al-Hadethi et al. (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR7\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2017\u003c/span\u003e), Zhang et al. (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR52\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2023\u003c/span\u003e) and Anli et al. (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR12\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2020\u003c/span\u003e) who reported significant increase in the growth parameters (leaves area, chlorophyll contents, plant height, leaf length, shoot length and stem diameter) of Peento peach cultivar, spinach and date palm respectively cultivated with different soil biofertilizer treatments when compared with control. Both of them equally reported that combination of biofertilizer treatments produced better results on the growth parameters of Peen to peach cultivar and spinach plant. The result further aligns with the findings by Al-Hadethi (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR6\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2015\u003c/span\u003e), Kumar et al. (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR31\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2013\u003c/span\u003e), Ebrahimi et al. (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR24\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2023\u003c/span\u003e) and Dawood et al. (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR20\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2019\u003c/span\u003e) who reported significant increase in stem diameter, leaves areas, shoot length and germination rate of apricot trees, peartrees, \u003cem\u003eZygophyllum eurypterum\u003c/em\u003e and flax cultivars respectively cultivated in biofertilized soils. Chlorophyll is the green pigment that facilitates photosynthesis (Dawood et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR20\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2019\u003c/span\u003e). The significant increase in chlorophyll contents of the three crops treated with biofertilizer could be because of bio-regulator role which altars photo-respiratory and photosynthetic balance in plants (Olaiya \u003cspan citationid=\"CR36\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2010\u003c/span\u003e). More so, high chlorophyll contents contribute to delay in aging of leaves while supporting RNA and protein synthesis (Shalaby \u0026amp; El-Nady \u003cspan citationid=\"CR42\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2008\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eCucurbito pepo, Zea mays\u003c/em\u003e, and \u003cem\u003eAbelmoscus esculentus\u003c/em\u003e have all shown a notable increase in height, which indicates that their responses vary based on the fertilization regime used. This could be attributed to a substantial and essential supply of nutrients, including nitrogen, which the plant can directly absorb for vegetative growth, and other nutrients (potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, etc.) that are involved in root development.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe type of crop and the quantity of fertilizer used are typically correlated with production yield. The study's findings demonstrated that the three crops' (\u003cem\u003eCucurbito pepo, Zea mays\u003c/em\u003e, and \u003cem\u003eAbelmoscus esculentus\u003c/em\u003e) production yield varied, which may have been caused by physiological reactions brought on by variations in the genetic information in their genomes that ensured their growth and development by absorbing nutrients from the soil and responding favorably to climatic constraints. Its greater ability to adapt to climatic circumstances, its efficient photosynthesis, and its improved nutrient assimilation may be the reasons for the increased output yield of \u003cem\u003eZea mays\u003c/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eAbelmoscus esculentus\u003c/em\u003e treated with a mix of microbial inoculant and water hyacinth compost. In reality, \u003cem\u003eZea mays\u003c/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eAbelmoscus esculentus\u003c/em\u003e would have more readily absorbed the nutrients from the soil treatments than \u003cem\u003eCucurbito pepo\u003c/em\u003e, as nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and water are the limiting factors in achieving high yields (Agbede et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR3\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2017\u003c/span\u003e). Our findings are consistent with a study by Djoufack et al. (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR22\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2025\u003c/span\u003e) that found that the use of organic fertilizers produced the highest production yield values.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAccording to Barker and Pilbeam (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR15\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2007\u003c/span\u003e), the better performance of crop planted on biofertilizer treated soil could be attributed to cumulative impact of biofertilizers applied which in turn enhanced biochemical processes and photosynthesis in planted crops by enabling them to utilize plant nutrients like potassium, nitrogen and phosphorus through the help of enzymes. The second possible reason for the significant increase in growth parameters of these crops by biofertilized treated soils might be because of presence of micro and macro nutrients, proteins, vitamins, and plant growth regulators that facilitate the building up of dried matter in plants (Mirabal-Alonso et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR35\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2008\u003c/span\u003e). Biofertilizers equally promote the release and availability of soil nutrients in treated soils thereby facilitating physiological processes and all the biochemical procedures (Yu et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR51\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2014\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv id=\"Sec22\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003eEffect of biofertilizers on nutrient content and absorption by crops\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe nutrient levels in soil samples after 60 days of planting period are shown in Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab13\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e13\u003c/span\u003e\u0026ndash;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab17\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e17\u003c/span\u003e. Results showed that the concentrations of N, P, K, Zn and Mn were generally lower in soils planted these three crops after 60 days of planting period which implies that the crops must have utilized these nutrients in boosting their performance. These results are quite similar with earlier reports (Aedesh et al. 2024; Demir et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR21\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2023\u003c/span\u003e; Al-Hadethi et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR7\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2017\u003c/span\u003e; Sundari and Gandhi \u003cspan citationid=\"CR46\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2017\u003c/span\u003e; Kumar et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR32\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2017\u003c/span\u003e; Radhakrishnan and Lee \u003cspan citationid=\"CR38\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2016\u003c/span\u003e; Kumar et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR31\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2013\u003c/span\u003e; Dutt et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR23\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2013\u003c/span\u003e; Sharma et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR43\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2008\u003c/span\u003e) who all reported higher levels of nutrients in crops planted on biofertilized soils. The mechanism of action of biofertilizers include restoration of nutrient cycles in soil, fixation of nitrogen, solubilization of phosphorus and supporting the synthesis of plant growth promoting factors through the help of organisms present in them which leads to increase in nutrient absorption (Aadesh et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR1\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2024\u003c/span\u003e; Al-Hadethi et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR7\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2017\u003c/span\u003e). Also, nitrogen and phosphorus are made available for better utilization through the help of biofertilizers (Regar et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR39\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2018\u003c/span\u003e) with the help of bacteria like \u003cem\u003eAzotobacter, Bacillus, Pseudomonas and Rhizobium\u003c/em\u003e organism which aid in dissolving phosphate. These organisms are capable of converting non-absorbable phosphorus into forms that can be absorbed (Tosic et al. 2016). According to Chen et al. (2006), these bacteria can breakdown up to 50% of non-absorbable phosphorus in the soil. \u003cem\u003eBacillus\u003c/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003ePseudomonas\u003c/em\u003e sp found in the control and test soils utilized in this study might have converted phosphorus into absorbable forms for easy uptake by crops thereby diminishing their concentrations in soils after period of planting.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eMore so, the metabolism of carbohydrates, the promotion of growth and early root development, and the quickening of plant maturity, fruiting, and development are all aspects of plant growth that depend on phosphorus. However, after being absorbed by the plant, nitrogen is needed for optimal growth because it is transformed into nitrate ions, which act as a substrate for assimilation and signaling molecules that partially control the pattern of growth and development by regulating the expression of different genes (Ali et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR8\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2003\u003c/span\u003e; Takei et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR47\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2002\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e\u003cdiv id=\"Sec23\" class=\"Section3\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003eMolecular identification of functional gene\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eAgrorose electrophoresis showed the Amplified 16s rRNA gene. Lane 1 PA4 \u003cem\u003eBacillus cereus\u003c/em\u003e (OR105044), Lane 2: PA6 \u003cem\u003eBacillus cereus\u003c/em\u003e (OR105045), Lane 3 PA7 \u003cem\u003eBacillus fungorum\u003c/em\u003e (OR105046) and Lane 4 6A11 \u003cem\u003eBacillus paramycoides (\u003c/em\u003eOR105047) (Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab18\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e18\u003c/span\u003e) while ladder at the first lane represents the 1500 pb molecular ladder, identification of isolate showed bacterial isolates as \u003cem\u003eBacillus cereus\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eBacillus fungorum\u003c/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eBacillus paramycoides\u003c/em\u003e with accession number OR105044, OR105045, OR105046 and OR105047 respectively (Fig.\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Fig2\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e2\u003c/span\u003e). This agree with the findings of Amal and Heba (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR10\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2023\u003c/span\u003e) and Agu et al. (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR4\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2021\u003c/span\u003e) who screened and identified species as \u003cem\u003eBacillus cereus\u003c/em\u003e (OP970172), \u003cem\u003eBacillus licheniformis\u003c/em\u003e (OP970169), \u003cem\u003ePseudomonas fluorescens\u003c/em\u003e (OP970170) and \u003cem\u003eAzotobacter chroococcum\u003c/em\u003e (OP970171) to be useful in enhancing plant growth through mineralization such as solubilization of phosphate and nitrogen fixation in biofertilizer production study.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv id=\"Sec24\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003eEffect of biofertilizer on plant hormones\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn the field of agricultural production, plant growth regulators have become widely used because they may effectively influence crop growth and development while improving crop output and quality (Jiang et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR29\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2020\u003c/span\u003e). The findings showed that IAA was evenly distributed in shoot and leaf of the three crops, GA\u003csub\u003e4\u003c/sub\u003e and cis-zeatin were found more in shoot than leaf while ABA were mostly higher in leaf than shoot of crops which suggest the presence of plant hormones capable of regulating activities within the tissues of these crops (Tables\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab19\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e19\u003c/span\u003e\u0026ndash;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab26\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e26\u003c/span\u003e). Additionally, the study showed that the content of IAA and GA\u003csub\u003e4\u003c/sub\u003e in crop shoots and leaves was higher in soil treated with a combination of MI and WHC than in other treatments (Tables\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab19\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e19\u003c/span\u003e\u0026ndash;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab26\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e26\u003c/span\u003e). Consistent with earlier research, it was clear that applying organic soil treatments increased the amounts of GA\u003csub\u003e4\u003c/sub\u003e and IAA while lowering ABA (Shi et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR44\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2022\u003c/span\u003e). However, as compared to other groups, the NPK-treated group had higher levels of ABA in both the crop's leaves and shoots (Tables\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab21\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e21\u003c/span\u003e and \u003cspan refid=\"Tab25\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e25\u003c/span\u003e). Djoufack et al. (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR22\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2025\u003c/span\u003e) obtained similar results.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eCell division and elongation are markedly inhibited by ABA, a strong growth inhibitor. It may hinder the growth of leaves, embryos, embryo sheaths, stems, hypocotyls, and roots, among other plant elements. Additionally, ABA promotes stomatal closure and dormancy, which further suppresses plant growth (Chen et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR18\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2018\u003c/span\u003e). According to earlier studies, elevated IAA levels speed up organ abscission and promote the synthesis of ethylene (Mao et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR33\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2014\u003c/span\u003e). According to Zhu's research, growth hormone increases GA production, which in turn stimulates the creation of fiber (Zhu et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR55\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2022\u003c/span\u003e). Similar to the findings of Djoufack et al. (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR22\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2025\u003c/span\u003e), soil treatments had no discernible impact on the amount of cis-ZT. This ensures cell viability and delays plant senescence when applied in combination (Jiang et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR29\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2020\u003c/span\u003e). Together, these findings imply that different plant growth regulator compounds are essential in regulating the growth and development of \u003cem\u003eCucurbito pepo, Zea mays\u003c/em\u003e, and \u003cem\u003eAbelmoscus esculentus\u003c/em\u003e 60 days after planting by affecting GA4 and IAA levels, lowering ABA content, and preventing these crops from senescence.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e"},{"header":"Conclusion","content":"\u003cp\u003eThis study have shown that the type of soil treatment had a significant impact on growth performance parameters, yield, nutrient levels and hormones of \u003cem\u003eCucurbito pepo\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eZea mays\u003c/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eAbelmoscus esculentus\u003c/em\u003e after 60 days of planting with treatment administered in combination (Microbial Inoculant\u0026thinsp;+\u0026thinsp;Water Hyacinth Compost) producing the best performance. The study equally discovered species with biofertilizing potentials. More so, as much as the addition of the soil with NPK chemical fertilizer increased leave area and germination rate in crops; it however increased the acidity of the soil and soil nutrients from NPK was lost rapidly than in other soil treatments which can be detrimental to the microbial activities and health.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWe therefore recommend that in order to increased food security, create jobs, and strengthen the country's agro-economy, the Nigerian government and private investors should collaborate in the industrialization of biofertilizer manufacturing and application of biofertilizer since it is an efficient and feasible way of reducing chemical fertilizers rate, cost and increased growth benefit and more. Biofertilizer should be continuous in use to increase our production and fight hunger to enable the nation actualize United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 1 (No poverty), 2 (zero hunger) and 3 (Life on land).\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Abbreviations","content":"\u003cp\u003eMI Microbial Inoculant\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWHC Water Hyacinth Compost\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eABA Abscisic acid\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIAA indole-3-acetic acid\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eGA\u003csub\u003e4\u003c/sub\u003e gibberellin\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ecZ cis-Zeatin\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ePSB phosphate solubilizing bacteria\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eTHB total heterotrophic bacteria count\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eTHUB total hydrocarbon utilizing bacteria\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eNFB nitrogen fixing bacteria\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eNPK nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Declarations","content":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAcknowledgements\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe are thankful to the microbiology section staff at the University of Port Harcourt Choba, Rivers State, Nigeria for their help accessing the data in the laboratory information system and laboratory registers. The authors equally appreciate the management of the National Institute for Medical Research (NIMR) Molecular Biology Laboratory in Yaba, Lagos, Nigeria, for assisting with DNA extractions, PCR amplification of, and gel electrophoresis of the isolates.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAuthor contributions\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRNA, PIA and HOS developed the study\u0026rsquo;s concept and design. RNA and PIA participated in data collection. RNA, PIA and GOA performed data cleaning, analysis, and interpretation. RNA, PIA, GOA and IFV drafted the manuscript. All authors reviewed the manuscript and agreed to the final version of the manuscript.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFunding\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis work was supported by Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND), Nigeria [NRF/SETI/NRT/00031].\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAvailability of data and materials\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe datasets used during the current study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable demand.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eEthics approval and consent to participate\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNot applicable.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eConflict of interest\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe authors declare no competing interests.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eInformed consent statement\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNot applicable.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eInstitutional review board statement\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNot applicable.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"References","content":"\u003col\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAadesh RS, Jadoun SS, Tomar A, Parmar K (2024) Effect of rate of biofertilizers on growth and development of spinach (\u003cem\u003eSpinacia Oleracea L.).\u003c/em\u003e Bio Web of Conferences 110: 04006.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAbu GO, Vincent-Akpu IF, Akwukwaegbu RN, Stanley HO, Udume OA (2024) Laboratory Production and Testing of Biocompost from Water Hyacinth (Eichhornia Crassipes) for Bioremediation of Crude Oil-Impacted Agricultural Soil. 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Plant Biotechnol J 20: 423\u0026ndash;425. \u003cspan class=\"ExternalRef\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"RefSource\"\u003ehttps://doi.org/10.1111/pbi.13771\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan address=\"10.1111/pbi.13771\" targettype=\"DOI\" class=\"RefTarget\"\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003c/ol\u003e"}],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":true,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":false,"hideJournal":false,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":true,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":false,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":false,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"bulletin-of-the-national-research-centre","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"bnrc","sideBox":"Learn more about [Bulletin of the National Research Centre](https://BNRC.springeropen.com)","snPcode":"42269","submissionUrl":"https://submission.springernature.com/new-submission/42269/3","title":"Bulletin of the National Research Centre","twitterHandle":"","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":true,"editorialSystem":"stoa","reportingPortfolio":"Springer Open","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true},"keywords":"Biofertilizers, Soil horizons, Growth performance, Forests, Water Hyacinth, Plant hormones","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-7646899/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-7646899/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"\u003ch2\u003eBackground\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe purpose of this study is to analyze the impact of bacteria with biofertilizing potential from forest environment and water hyacinth (\u003cem\u003eEichhornia crassipes\u003c/em\u003e) compost on plant growth parameters. Soil was collected from selected forests in (Etche, Ogbogoro and Choba) from various soil horizons (0\u0026ndash;15, 15\u0026ndash;30 and 30\u0026ndash;45 cm) depth. Soils parameters (bacteria count and physicochemical properties) were analysed, afterwards soils from different depth were pooled together for further analysis. Soil samples from the three forests were equally mixed to form a single soil in the ratio of 1:1:1 and used to make five treatments as follow: only mixed soil (control), 2 kg of soil\u0026thinsp;+\u0026thinsp;0.1 kg microbial inoculant (MI), 2 kg of soil\u0026thinsp;+\u0026thinsp;0.1 kg Water Hyacinth Compost (WHC), 2 kg of soil\u0026thinsp;+\u0026thinsp;0.1 kg MI\u0026thinsp;+\u0026thinsp;0.1 kg WHC, and 2 kg of soil\u0026thinsp;+\u0026thinsp;0.1 kg chemical fertilizer Nitrogen Phosphorus and Potassium (NPK: 20-10-10). The efficacy of the bacterial inoculant and WHC product, were tested on 3 different plants (\u003cem\u003eAbelmoschus esculentus, Zea mays and Cucurbita pepo\u003c/em\u003e) in different experimental set up.\u003c/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eResults\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eResults of the microbial count ranged from 26.00\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;4.50 x 10\u003csup\u003e8\u003c/sup\u003e to 100.66\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;2.07x10\u003csup\u003e9\u003c/sup\u003e cfu/g for the Total Heterotrophic Bacteria (THB), Phosphate Solubilizing Bacteria (PSB) and Nitrogen Fixing Bacteria (NFB). \u003cem\u003ePseudomonas\u003c/em\u003e sp and \u003cem\u003eBacillus\u003c/em\u003e sp were the abundant PSM and NFB isolated from the soil. There was an overall increase in the growth of the plant species as indicated in their shoots, leaves area, total chlorophyll content, germination rate, height, yield and rate of nutrients absorption after 60 days of planting with the best performance recorded in the treatment with combination of MI\u0026thinsp;+\u0026thinsp;WHC. Also, the content of indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) and gibberellin A\u003csub\u003e4\u003c/sub\u003e (GA\u003csub\u003e4\u003c/sub\u003e) in shoots and leaves of crops was higher in soil treated with combination of MI\u0026thinsp;+\u0026thinsp;WHC than other treatments.\u003c/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eConclusion\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eThese studies have shown that biofertilizer should be adopted in crop production to increase agricultural growth performance and reduce dependency on chemical fertilizers.\u003c/p\u003e","manuscriptTitle":"Impact of bacteria with biofertilizing potentials and water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) compost on plant growth parameters","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":1,"date":"2025-10-09 17:51:43","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-7646899/v1","editorialEvents":[{"type":"communityComments","content":0},{"type":"decision","content":"Revision requested","date":"2025-12-18T19:41:50+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvitedReview","content":"","date":"2025-12-09T07:34:34+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"227026627771158916374857197059349376153","date":"2025-12-08T01:16:56+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvitedReview","content":"","date":"2025-12-02T16:35:05+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"245810488117449690816551774027569350915","date":"2025-11-23T19:11:56+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewersInvited","content":"","date":"2025-09-28T12:31:29+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorAssigned","content":"","date":"2025-09-23T12:00:29+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"checksComplete","content":"","date":"2025-09-23T02:22:47+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"submitted","content":"Bulletin of the National Research Centre","date":"2025-09-18T07:55:17+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""}],"status":"published","journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"bulletin-of-the-national-research-centre","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"bnrc","sideBox":"Learn more about [Bulletin of the National Research Centre](https://BNRC.springeropen.com)","snPcode":"42269","submissionUrl":"https://submission.springernature.com/new-submission/42269/3","title":"Bulletin of the National Research Centre","twitterHandle":"","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":true,"editorialSystem":"stoa","reportingPortfolio":"Springer Open","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true}}],"origin":"","ownerIdentity":"9b79c029-3e10-48d7-bd6c-ca2e21ed1d8f","owner":[],"postedDate":"October 9th, 2025","published":true,"recentEditorialEvents":[],"rejectedJournal":[],"revision":"","amendment":"","status":"published-in-journal","subjectAreas":[],"tags":[],"updatedAt":"2026-03-09T16:05:59+00:00","versionOfRecord":{"articleIdentity":"rs-7646899","link":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s42269-026-01403-0","journal":{"identity":"bulletin-of-the-national-research-centre","isVorOnly":false,"title":"Bulletin of the National Research Centre"},"publishedOn":"2026-03-02 15:58:59","publishedOnDateReadable":"March 2nd, 2026"},"versionCreatedAt":"2025-10-09 17:51:43","video":"","vorDoi":"10.1186/s42269-026-01403-0","vorDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s42269-026-01403-0","workflowStages":[]},"version":"v1","identity":"rs-7646899","journalConfig":"researchsquare"},"__N_SSP":true},"page":"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]","query":{"redirect":"/article/rs-7646899","identity":"rs-7646899","version":["v1"]},"buildId":"8U1c8b4HqxoKbykW_rLl7","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[84888],"gssp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}