Rice consumption, as a staple food of Indonesian people, increases every year leading to extending the land for paddy fields. A type of land rarely managed for rice fields is saline soil. Rice does not grow optimally on this soil because of reduction of hormone produced by the plants, one of which is Indole Acetic Acid (IAA). Application of saline-resistant bacteria producing IAA might support rice growth in saline soil. This study aimed to explore saline-resistant bacteria producing IAA taken from paddy fields around Jetis Beach, Kebumen, Central Java, and to test the potential bacteria as biofertilizers on hydroponic systems. The research was conducted for five months in April-August 2018. The stages included isolation of soil bacteria, selection of bacteria in the saline media, a test of IAA production, and plant screening with hydroponic systems. The results showed five isolates of saline-resistant bacteria producing IAA. The isolates JB 2 produced the highest amount of IAA (26.34 ppm). Screening in plant demonstrated that addition of JB 2 isolates exhibited greater plant biomass (heights and weights) than controls.

Tsani Abu Manshur

Irfan Anwar Fauzan

Eka Junianti

Purwanto