scholarly journals Isolation of potential plant growth-promoting bacteria from nodules of legumes grown in arid Botswana soil

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Melissa Kosty ◽  
Flora Pule-Meulenberg ◽  
Ethan A. Humm ◽  
Pilar Martínez-Hidalgo ◽  
Maskit Maymon ◽  
...  

AbstractAs the world population increases, improvements in crop growth and yield will be needed to meet rising food demands, especially in countries that have not developed agricultural practices optimized for their own soils and crops. In many African countries, farmers improve agricultural productivity by applying synthetic fertilizers and pesticides to crops, but their continued use over the years has had serious environmental consequences including air and water pollution as well as loss of soil fertility. To reduce the overuse of synthetic amendments, we are developing inocula for crops that are based on indigenous soil microbes, especially those that enhance plant growth and improve agricultural productivity in a sustainable manner. We first isolated environmental DNA from soil samples collected from an agricultural region to study the composition of the soil microbiomes and then used Vigna unguiculata (cowpea), an important legume crop in Botswana and other legumes as “trap” plants using the collected soil to induce nitrogen-fixing nodule formation. We have identified drought-tolerant bacteria from Botswana soils that stimulate plant growth; many are species of Bacillus and Paenibacillus. In contrast, the cowpea nodule microbiomes from plants grown in these soils house mainly rhizobia particularly Bradyrhizobium, but also Methylobacterium spp. Hence, the nodule microbiome is much more limited in non-rhizobial diversity compared to the soil microbiome, but also contains a number of potential pathogenic bacteria.

Plants ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (6) ◽  
pp. 672 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aizheng Yang ◽  
Saqib Saleem Akhtar ◽  
Qiang Fu ◽  
Muhammad Naveed ◽  
Shahid Iqbal ◽  
...  

One of the major challenges in agriculture is to ensure sufficient and healthy food availability for the increasing world population in near future. This requires maintaining sustainable cultivation of crop plants under varying environmental stresses. Among these stresses, salinity is the second most abundant threat worldwide after drought. One of the promising strategies to mitigate salinity stress is to cultivate halotolerant crops such as quinoa. Under high salinity, performance can be improved by plant growth promoting bacteria (PGPB). Among PGPB, endophytic bacteria are considered better in stimulating plant growth compared to rhizosphere bacteria because of their ability to colonize both in plant rhizosphere and plant interior. Therefore, in the current study, a pot experiment was conducted in a controlled greenhouse to investigate the effects of endophytic bacteria i.e., Burkholderia phytofirmans PsJN on improving growth, physiology and yield of quinoa under salinity stress. At six leaves stage, plants were irrigated with saline water having either 0 (control) or 400 mM NaCl. The results indicated that plants inoculated with PsJN mitigated the negative effects of salinity on quinoa resulting in increased shoot biomass, grain weight and grain yield by 12%, 18% and 41% respectively, over un-inoculated control. Moreover, inoculation with PsJN improved osmotic adjustment and ion homeostasis ability. In addition, leaves were also characterized for five key reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenging enzyme in response to PsJN treatment. This showed higher activity of catalase (CAT) and dehydroascobate reductase (DHAR) in PsJN-treated plants. These findings suggest that inoculation of quinoa seeds with Burkholderia phytofirmans PsJN could be used for stimulating growth and yield of quinoa in highly salt-affected soils.


Soil Systems ◽  
2022 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 10
Author(s):  
Anithadevi Kenday Sivaram ◽  
Logeshwaran Panneerselvan ◽  
Kannappar Mukunthan ◽  
Mallavarapu Megharaj

Pyroligneous acid (PA) is often used in agriculture as a plant growth and yield enhancer. However, the influence of PA application on soil microorganisms is not often studied. Therefore, in this study, we investigated the effect of PA (0.01–5% w/w in soil) on the microbial diversity in two different soils. At the end of eight weeks of incubation, soil microbial community dynamics were determined by Illumina-MiSeq sequencing of 16S rRNA gene amplicons. The microbial composition differed between the lower (0.01% and 0.1%) and the higher (1% and 5%) concentration in both PA spiked soils. The lower concentration of PA resulted in higher microbial diversity and dehydrogenase activity (DHA) compared to the un-spiked control and the soil spiked with high PA concentrations. Interestingly, PA-induced plant growth-promoting bacterial (PGPB) genera include Bradyrhizobium, Azospirillum, Pseudomonas, Mesorhizobium, Rhizobium, Herbaspiriluum, Acetobacter, Beijerinckia, and Nitrosomonas at lower concentrations. Additionally, the PICRUSt functional analysis revealed the predominance of metabolism as the functional module’s primary component in both soils spiked with 0.01% and 0.1% PA. Overall, the results elucidated that PA application in soil at lower concentrations promoted soil DHA and microbial enrichment, particularly the PGPB genera, and thus have great implications for improving soil health.


1980 ◽  
Vol 58 (20) ◽  
pp. 2200-2205 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Asimi ◽  
V. Gianinazzi-Pearson ◽  
S. Gianinazzi

Growth and yield increases, obtained in nodulated soybeans growing in unamended sterile soil by inoculation with the vesicular–arbuscular (VA) mycorrhizal fungus Glomus mosseae, were accompanied by improved P uptake, lower root to shoot ratios, better nodulation with higher nitrogenase activity, and modifications in the pattern of the latter during plant growth. Stimulation of nitrogenase activity occurred early in plant development and preceded plant growth responses by about 2 weeks. Phosphate fertilization increased yield, percent P but not percent N of both mycorrhizal and nonmycorrhizal soybeans, and also modified the pattern and amount of nitrogenase activity during plant growth. Additions of 0.25 g KH2PO4/kg to the soil eliminated the mycorrhizal effect on plant growth, but nodule formation and nitrogenase activity were still significantly stimulated by the mycorrhizal infection. Mycorrhizal effects on nodulation were eliminated with 0.5 g KH2PO4 and on nitrogenase activity with the addition of 1.0 g KH2PO4. These higher levels of phosphate fertilization considerably diminished infection and, in particular, fungal spread within the roots.


2009 ◽  
Vol 89 (2) ◽  
pp. 349-358 ◽  
Author(s):  
F. M. Del Amor ◽  
I. Porras

The influence of plant-growth-promoting bacteria (Azospirillum brasilense and Pantoea dispersa) on sweet pepper plants (Capsicum annuum L.) under limited N supply was studied. Inoculation did not affect leaf CO2 assimilation, Ci/Ca (the ratio of the intercellular to the ambient CO2 concentration), concentration of chlorophylls, chlorophyll fluorescence (maximum quantum efficiency of PSII) or SPAD readings. Total plant dry weight was significantly reduced in both inoculated and non-inoculated plants when the N supply was reduced from 12 (control) to 7 mM, whilst the NO3− and total-N concentrations in the leaves were not significantly affected by inoculation. Inoculation did not affect marketable fruit yield or the pigments (chlorophylls, lycopene and β-carotene) and carbohydrate (sucrose, glucose and fructose) contents in the fruits but flavonoids and anthocyanins were increased significantly by the addition of the bacteria, relative to non-inoculated plants under limited N supply. Key words: Plant-growth-promoting bacteria, Capsicum annuum L., soilless, photosynthesis, chlorophylls, flavonoids


Agronomy ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (10) ◽  
pp. 2065
Author(s):  
Hammad Anwar ◽  
Xiukang Wang ◽  
Azhar Hussain ◽  
Muhammad Rafay ◽  
Maqshoof Ahmad ◽  
...  

Plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria with multiple growth-promoting traits play a significant role in soil to improve soil health, crop growth and yield. Recent research studies have focused on the integration of organic amendments with plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) to enhance soil fertility and reduce the hazardous effects of chemical fertilizers. This study aims to evaluate the integrated application of biochar, compost, fruit and vegetable waste, and Bacillus subtilis (SMBL 1) to soil in sole application and in combined form. The study comprises eight treatments—four treatments without inoculation and four treatments with SMBL 1 inoculation in a completely randomized design (CRD), under factorial settings with four replications. The results indicate that the integrated treatments significantly improved okra growth and yield compared with sole applications. The integration of SMBL 1 with biochar showed significant improvements in plant height, root length, leaf chlorophyll a and b, leaf relative water content, fruit weight, diameter and length by 29, 29, 50, 53.3, 4.3, 44.7 and 40.4%, respectively, compared with control. Similarly, fruit N, P and K contents were improved by 33, 52.7 and 25.6% and Fe and Zn in shoot were 37.1 and 35.6%, respectively, compared with control. The results of this study reveal that the integration of SMBL 1 with organic amendments is an effective approach to the sustainable production of okra.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rafia Younas ◽  
Shiza Gul ◽  
Rehan Ahmad ◽  
Ali Raza Khan ◽  
Mumtaz Khan ◽  
...  

Global climate change is leading to a series of frequent onset of environmental stresses such as prolonged drought periods, dynamic precipitation patterns, heat stress, and cold stress on plants and commercial crops. The increasing severity of such stresses is not only making agriculture and related economic sector vulnerable but also negatively influences plant diversity patterns. The global temperature of planet Earth has risen to 1.1°C since the last 19th century. An increase in surface temperature leads to an increase in soil temperature which ultimately reduces water content in the soil, thereby, reducing crop growth and yield. Moreover, this situation is becoming more intense for agricultural practices in arid and semi-arid regions. To overcome climatically induced stresses, acclimatization of plant species via bioinoculation with Plant Growth Promoting Rhizobacteria (PGPR) is becoming an effective approach. The PGPR are capable of colonizing rhizosphere (exophytes) as well as plant organs (endophytes), where they trigger an accumulation of osmolytes for osmoregulation or improving gene expression of heat or cold stress proteins, or by signaling the synthesis of phytohormones, metabolites, proteins, and antioxidants to scavenge reactive oxygen species. Thus, PGPR exhibiting multiple plant growth-promoting traits can be employed via bioinoculants to improve the plant’s tolerance against unfavorable stress conditions.


Agrociencia ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 55 (3) ◽  
pp. 227-242
Author(s):  
Alejandro Bolaños Dircio ◽  
Jeiry Toribio Jiménez ◽  
Miguel Á. Rodríguez Barrera ◽  
Giovanni Hernández Flores ◽  
Erubiel Toledo Hernández ◽  
...  

Plant growth promoting bacteria are known to directly or indirectly influence the development and yield of plants. Studies that show the biotechnological potential of these bacteria as biofertilizers are thus important. The objective of this study was to evaluate the growth capacities of strains M2-7 and LYA12 and define whether their interactions with Capsicum annuum L. increases production. The hypothesis was that the Bacillus licheniformis strains have capacities to promote growth and yield of Capsicum annuum L. First, these strains were evaluated in vitro in selective culture media to detect those direct or indirect mechanisms for plant growth promotion. Then, the effect of both strains on seed germination and the effect of strain M2-7 were studied on the in vivo development of C. annuum L. The experimental design was completely randomized with 3 treatments and 3 repetitions. Data was analyzed with ANOVA and Tukey test (p≤0.05). Results showed that the bacterial strains were able to fix nitrogen, solubilize tricalcium phosphate Ca3 (PO4)2, produce gibberellins, lytic enzymes (amylases, proteases, lipases and esterases), biosurfactants, volatile compounds; and significantly inhibit growth (p≤0.05) of the phytopathogenic fungus Colletotrichum sp. Likewise, the strains M2-7 and LYA12 increased (p≤0.05) by 89 and 78% the seed germination of C. annuum L. M2-7 enhanced fresh weight (235%), stem diameter (308%), root weight, number and weight of fruits (316%), as compared to treatment 1 (Nitrofoska) and 3 (Control). Therefore, B. licheniformis M2-7 strain is attractive to develop the formulation of biofertilizers; aiming to improve yield of some horticultural crops towards a sustainable and ecological agriculture.


2018 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 24-28 ◽  
Author(s):  
B Patni ◽  
A S Panwar ◽  
P Negi ◽  
Gopal Krishna Joshi

Plant growth promoting bacteria (PGPB) are well known to promote plant growth in a number of ways. It is important to study plant growth promoting potential of bacteria capable of growing in extreme environments to establish their role in promoting agricultural yield under harsh conditions. Psychrophilic or psychrotolerant bacteria with plant growth promoting traits may improve the quality of agricultural practices in hilly terrain. The agricultural importance of such microbes stems from the fact that the world over temperate agro-ecosystems are characterized by low temperatures and short growing seasons that subject both plant and microbial life to cold temperature induced stress. Hence, there is a need to identify potential microbes that retain their functional traits under low temperature conditions. Such microbes can be used to enhance the agricultural yields in low temperature areas of the world. This review describes plant growth promoting activities identified in cold adapted bacteria.


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