Exogenous application of melatonin alleviates salt stress-induced decline in growth and photosynthesis in Glycine max (L.) seedlings by improving mineral uptake, antioxidant and glyoxalase system

Soybean plants grown under NaCl were foliar sprayed twice with melatonin (MLT). Results revealed that salt stress reduced growth, biomass accumulation, photosynthesis, mineral uptake, the content of δ-aminolevulinic acid, chlorophylls, carotenoids and PSII efficiency. However, MLT application enhanced pigment synthesis and PSII activity. MLT up-regulated the antioxidant system and glyoxalase function resulting in reduced accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Reduced ROS in MLT-treated plants protected membrane functioning by reducing lipid peroxidation, electrolyte leakage and lipoxygenase activity. Nevertheless, MLT application reduced methylglyoxal accumulation while increased the content of reduced glutathione and ascorbic acid. It could be concluded that exogenous MLT mitigated the salt stress damage in soybean plants by improving photosynthesis, antioxidant systems, controlling ion homeostasis and minimising excessive ROS accumulation.

Download Full-text

Melatonin: A Small Molecule but Important for Salt Stress Tolerance in Plants

International Journal of Molecular Sciences ◽

10.3390/ijms20030709 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 20 (3) ◽

pp. 709 ◽

Cited By ~ 31

Author(s):

Haoshuang Zhan ◽

Xiaojun Nie ◽

Ting Zhang ◽

Shuang Li ◽

Xiaoyu Wang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Salt Stress ◽

Stress Tolerance ◽

Stress Responses ◽

Ion Homeostasis ◽

Free Radical Scavenger ◽

Limiting Factors ◽

Polyamine Metabolism ◽

Antioxidant Systems ◽

Radical Scavenger ◽

Salt Stress Tolerance

Salt stress is one of the most serious limiting factors in worldwide agricultural production, resulting in huge annual yield loss. Since 1995, melatonin (N-acetyl-5-methoxytryptamine)—an ancient multi-functional molecule in eukaryotes and prokaryotes—has been extensively validated as a regulator of plant growth and development, as well as various stress responses, especially its crucial role in plant salt tolerance. Salt stress and exogenous melatonin lead to an increase in endogenous melatonin levels, partly via the phyto-melatonin receptor CAND2/PMTR1. Melatonin plays important roles, as a free radical scavenger and antioxidant, in the improvement of antioxidant systems under salt stress. These functions improve photosynthesis, ion homeostasis, and activate a series of downstream signals, such as hormones, nitric oxide (NO) and polyamine metabolism. Melatonin also regulates gene expression responses to salt stress. In this study, we review recent literature and summarize the regulatory roles and signaling networks involving melatonin in response to salt stress in plants. We also discuss genes and gene families involved in the melatonin-mediated salt stress tolerance.

Download Full-text

Comprehensive analysis of transcriptional regulation and functional genes induced by alkaline salt stress in roots of two switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) genotypes

10.21203/rs.3.rs-57429/v1 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Pan Zhang ◽

Tianqi Duo ◽

Fengdan Wang ◽

Xunzhong Zhang ◽

Zouzhuan Yang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Transcriptional Regulation ◽

Salt Stress ◽

Salt Tolerance ◽

Ion Homeostasis ◽

Comprehensive Analysis ◽

Functional Genes ◽

Antioxidant Systems ◽

Limiting Factor ◽

Rna Seq ◽

Alkaline Salt

Abstract Background: Soil salinization is a major limiting factor for crop cultivation. Switchgrass is a perennial rhizomatous bunchgrass that is considered an ideal plant for marginal lands, including sites with saline soil. Here, we investigated the physiological responses and transcriptome changes in the roots of two switchgrass genotypes under alkaline salt stress.Results: Alkaline salt stress significantly affected the membrane, osmotic adjustment and antioxidant systems in switchgrass roots, and the ASTTI values between Alamo and AM-314/MS-155 were divergent at different time points. A total of 108,319 unigenes were obtained after reassembly, including 73,636 unigenes in AM-314/MS-155 and 65,492 unigenes in Alamo. A total of 10,219 DEGs were identified, and the number of upregulated genes in Alamo was much greater than that in AM-314/MS-155 in both the early and late stages of alkaline salt stress. The DEGs in AM-314/MS-155 were mainly concentrated in the early stage, while Alamo showed greater advantages in the late stage. These DEGs were mainly enriched in plant-pathogen interactions, ubiquitin-mediated proteolysis and glycolysis/gluconeogenesis pathways. We characterized 1,480 TF genes into 64 TF families, and the most abundant TF family was the C2H2 family, followed by the bZIP and bHLH families. A total of 1,718 PKs were predicted, including CaMK, CDPK, MAPK and RLK. WGCNA revealed that the DEGs in the blue, brown, dark magenta and light steel blue 1 modules were associated with the physiological changes in roots of switchgrass under alkaline salt stress. The consistency between the qRT-PCR and RNA-Seq results confirmed the reliability of the RNA-seq sequencing data. A molecular regulatory network of the switchgrass response to alkaline salt stress was preliminarily constructed on the basis of transcriptional regulation and functional genes.Conclusions: The alkaline salt tolerance of switchgrass may be achieved by the regulation of ion homeostasis, transport proteins, detoxification, heat shock proteins, dehydration and sugar metabolism. These findings provide a comprehensive analysis of gene transcription and regulation induced by alkaline salt stress in two switchgrass genotypes and contribute to the understanding of the alkaline salt tolerance mechanism of switchgrass and the improvement of switchgrass germplasm.

Download Full-text

Biochar and Chitosan Regulate Antioxidant Defense and Methylglyoxal Detoxification Systems and Enhance Salt Tolerance in Jute (Corchorus olitorius L.)

Antioxidants ◽

10.3390/antiox10122017 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (12) ◽

pp. 2017

Author(s):

Mirza Hasanuzzaman ◽

Md. Rakib Hossain Raihan ◽

Ebtihal Khojah ◽

Bassem N. Samra ◽

Masayuki Fujita ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Salt Stress ◽

Biomass Accumulation ◽

Protective Role ◽

Monodehydroascorbate Reductase ◽

Antioxidant Systems ◽

Corchorus Olitorius ◽

Glutathione S Transferase ◽

Detoxification Systems ◽

Catalase Peroxidase

We investigated the role of biochar and chitosan in mitigating salt stress in jute (Corchorus olitorius L. cv. O-9897) by exposing twenty-day-old seedlings to three doses of salt (50, 100, and 150 mM NaCl). Biochar was pre-mixed with the soil at 2.0 g kg−1 soil, and chitosan-100 was applied through irrigation at 100 mg L−1. Exposure to salt stress notably increased lipid peroxidation, hydrogen peroxide content, superoxide radical levels, electrolyte leakage, lipoxygenase activity, and methylglyoxal content, indicating oxidative damage in the jute plants. Consequently, the salt-stressed plants showed reduced growth, biomass accumulation, and disrupted water balance. A profound increase in proline content was observed in response to salt stress. Biochar and chitosan supplementation significantly mitigated the deleterious effects of salt stress in jute by stimulating both non-enzymatic (e.g., ascorbate and glutathione) and enzymatic (e.g., ascorbate peroxidase, dehydroascorbate reductase, monodehydroascorbate reductase, glutathione reductase superoxide dismutase, catalase, peroxidase, glutathione S-transferase, glutathione peroxidase) antioxidant systems and enhancing glyoxalase enzyme activities (glyoxalase I and glyoxalase II) to ameliorate reactive oxygen species damage and methylglyoxal toxicity, respectively. Biochar and chitosan supplementation increased oxidative stress tolerance and improved the growth and physiology of salt-affected jute plants, while also significantly reducing Na+ accumulation and ionic toxicity and decreasing the Na+/K+ ratio. These findings support a protective role of biochar and chitosan against salt-induced damage in jute plants.

Download Full-text

Dual inoculation of Bradyrhizobium and Enterobacter alleviates the adverse effect of salinity on Glycine max seedling

Notulae Botanicae Horti Agrobotanici Cluj-Napoca ◽

10.15835/nbha49312461 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 49 (3) ◽

pp. 12461

Author(s):

Mona S. AGHA ◽

Mohamed A. ABBAS ◽

Mahmoud R. SOFY ◽

Samia A. HAROUN ◽

Amr M. MOWAFY

Keyword(s):

Salt Stress ◽

Glycine Max ◽

Sugar Content ◽

Stability Index ◽

Significant Rise ◽

Morphological Criteria ◽

Glycine Max L ◽

Soybean Plants ◽

Plant Salt Tolerance ◽

Harmful Effects

The aid of beneficial microbes, which is a well-accepted strategy, may improve plant salt tolerance. However, the mechanisms that underpin it are unclear. In this study, seedling experiments were carried out to assess the effect of Bradyrhizobium and Enterobacter on the germination, growth, nonenzymatic and enzymatic content in soybean (Glycine max L.) under salt stress. Water was sprayed on the seeds as a control, and with 75 mM, 150 mM NaCl as salt stress. The findings demonstrate that salt stress (75, 150 mM) caused a significant decrease in germination, morphological criteria, and membrane stability index (MSI) when compared to control seeds but increased lipid peroxidation (MDA), electrolyte leakage (EL), osmotic pressure, proline, citric acid, sugar content, antioxidant enzymes. Furthermore, endophytic Bradyrhizobium and Enterobacter inoculation resulted in a significant rise in all of the above metrics.; however, these treatments resulted in significant reductions in ROS, EL, and MDA in stressed plants. Finally, the findings showed that combining Bradyrhizobium and Enterobacter was the most efficient in reducing the harmful effects of salt on soybean plants by boosting antioxidant up-regulation and lowering membrane leakage and ROS.

Download Full-text

De novo transcriptome in roots of switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) reveals gene expression dynamic and act network under alkaline salt stress

10.21203/rs.3.rs-57429/v2 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Pan Zhang ◽

Tianqi Duo ◽

Fengdan Wang ◽

Xunzhong Zhang ◽

Zouzhuan Yang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Gene Expression ◽

Salt Stress ◽

Salt Tolerance ◽

De Novo ◽

Ion Homeostasis ◽

Antioxidant Systems ◽

Limiting Factor ◽

Rna Seq ◽

Alkaline Salt ◽

Gene Expression Dynamic

Abstract Background: Soil salinization is a major limiting factor for crop cultivation. Switchgrass is a perennial rhizomatous bunchgrass that is considered an ideal plant for marginal lands, including sites with saline soil. Here, we investigated the physiological responses and transcriptome changes in the roots of Alamo (alkali-tolerant genotype) and AM-314/MS-155 (alkali-sensitive genotype) under alkaline salt stress.Results: Alkaline salt stress significantly affected the membrane, osmotic adjustment and antioxidant systems in switchgrass roots, and the ASTTI values between Alamo and AM-314/MS-155 were divergent at different time points. A total of 108,319 unigenes were obtained after reassembly, including 73,636 unigenes in AM-314/MS-155 and 65,492 unigenes in Alamo. A total of 10,219 DEGs were identified, and the number of upregulated genes in Alamo was much greater than that in AM-314/MS-155 in both the early and late stages of alkaline salt stress. The DEGs in AM-314/MS-155 were mainly concentrated in the early stage, while Alamo showed greater advantages in the late stage. These DEGs were mainly enriched in plant-pathogen interactions, ubiquitin-mediated proteolysis and glycolysis/gluconeogenesis pathways. We characterized 1,480 TF genes into 64 TF families, and the most abundant TF family was the C2H2 family, followed by the bZIP and bHLH families. A total of 1,718 PKs were predicted, including CaMK, CDPK, MAPK and RLK. WGCNA revealed that the DEGs in the blue, brown, dark magenta and light steel blue 1 modules were associated with the physiological changes in roots of switchgrass under alkaline salt stress. The consistency between the qRT-PCR and RNA-Seq results confirmed the reliability of the RNA-seq sequencing data. A molecular regulatory network of the switchgrass response to alkaline salt stress was preliminarily constructed on the basis of transcriptional regulation and functional genes.Conclusions: The alkaline salt tolerance of switchgrass may be achieved by the regulation of ion homeostasis, transport proteins, detoxification, heat shock proteins, dehydration and sugar metabolism. These findings provide a comprehensive analysis of gene expression dynamic and act network induced by alkaline salt stress in two switchgrass genotypes and contribute to the understanding of the alkaline salt tolerance mechanism of switchgrass and the improvement of switchgrass germplasm.

Download Full-text

Inoculation with a bacterial consortium alleviates the effect of cadmium overdose in soybean plants

Open Life Sciences ◽

10.2478/s11535-010-0025-1 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 5 (4) ◽

pp. 481-490 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Iryna Zaets ◽

Sergij Kramarev ◽

Natalia Kozyrovska

Keyword(s):

Prolonged Exposure ◽

Plant Protection ◽

Bacterial Consortium ◽

Antioxidant Systems ◽

Glutathione S Transferase ◽

Associated Bacteria ◽

Maximum Value ◽

Glycine Max L ◽

Phenolics Content ◽

Soybean Plants

AbstractInoculating plants that have inefficient antioxidant systems with plant-associated bacteria allows them to overcome heavy metal intoxication. We monitored protein oxidation, the activity of plant defense system enzymes, and the phenolics content in soybean (Glycine max L.) during a prolonged exposure to cadmium (Cd). The assistance of the bacterial consortium reduced the bioavailability of Cd in a soil containing 10 times the metal’s Standard Maximum Value (SMV). This reduced the accumulation of Cd in the soybeans’ roots and seeds. At 100 SMV, bacterial inoculation resulted in increased Cd bioavailability, which enhanced cadmium uptake by the soybean plants. At both Cd concentrations, oxidative stress was more prolonged in the soybean’s roots than its leaves. In cadmium-polluted soil, glutathion peroxidase activity changed more rapidly in the roots of plants when they had been inoculated. Inhibition of the peroxidases’ activities strengthened the activity of glutathione-S-transferase; increased the phenolics content in plant roots; and alleviated stress in inoculated soybean plants compared to untreated plants. The bacterial consortium may be recommended for a plant protection at 10 SMV Cd in the soil, and for phytostabilization at 100 SMV.

Download Full-text

De novo transcriptome in roots of switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) reveals gene expression dynamic and act network under alkaline salt stress

BMC Genomics ◽

10.1186/s12864-021-07368-w ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 22 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Pan Zhang ◽

Tianqi Duo ◽

Fengdan Wang ◽

Xunzhong Zhang ◽

Zouzhuan Yang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Gene Expression ◽

Salt Stress ◽

Salt Tolerance ◽

De Novo ◽

Ion Homeostasis ◽

Antioxidant Systems ◽

Limiting Factor ◽

Rna Seq ◽

Alkaline Salt ◽

Gene Expression Dynamic

Abstract Background Soil salinization is a major limiting factor for crop cultivation. Switchgrass is a perennial rhizomatous bunchgrass that is considered an ideal plant for marginal lands, including sites with saline soil. Here we investigated the physiological responses and transcriptome changes in the roots of Alamo (alkaline-tolerant genotype) and AM-314/MS-155 (alkaline-sensitive genotype) under alkaline salt stress. Results Alkaline salt stress significantly affected the membrane, osmotic adjustment and antioxidant systems in switchgrass roots, and the ASTTI values between Alamo and AM-314/MS-155 were divergent at different time points. A total of 108,319 unigenes were obtained after reassembly, including 73,636 unigenes in AM-314/MS-155 and 65,492 unigenes in Alamo. A total of 10,219 DEGs were identified, and the number of upregulated genes in Alamo was much greater than that in AM-314/MS-155 in both the early and late stages of alkaline salt stress. The DEGs in AM-314/MS-155 were mainly concentrated in the early stage, while Alamo showed greater advantages in the late stage. These DEGs were mainly enriched in plant-pathogen interactions, ubiquitin-mediated proteolysis and glycolysis/gluconeogenesis pathways. We characterized 1480 TF genes into 64 TF families, and the most abundant TF family was the C2H2 family, followed by the bZIP and bHLH families. A total of 1718 PKs were predicted, including CaMK, CDPK, MAPK and RLK. WGCNA revealed that the DEGs in the blue, brown, dark magenta and light steel blue 1 modules were associated with the physiological changes in roots of switchgrass under alkaline salt stress. The consistency between the qRT-PCR and RNA-Seq results confirmed the reliability of the RNA-seq sequencing data. A molecular regulatory network of the switchgrass response to alkaline salt stress was preliminarily constructed on the basis of transcriptional regulation and functional genes. Conclusions Alkaline salt tolerance of switchgrass may be achieved by the regulation of ion homeostasis, transport proteins, detoxification, heat shock proteins, dehydration and sugar metabolism. These findings provide a comprehensive analysis of gene expression dynamic and act network induced by alkaline salt stress in two switchgrass genotypes and contribute to the understanding of the alkaline salt tolerance mechanism of switchgrass and the improvement of switchgrass germplasm.

Download Full-text

De novo transcriptome in roots of switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) reveals gene expression dynamic and act network under alkaline salt stress

10.21203/rs.3.rs-57429/v3 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Pan Zhang ◽

Tianqi Duo ◽

Fengdan Wang ◽

Xunzhong Zhang ◽

Zouzhuan Yang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Gene Expression ◽

Salt Stress ◽

Salt Tolerance ◽

De Novo ◽

Ion Homeostasis ◽

Antioxidant Systems ◽

Limiting Factor ◽

Rna Seq ◽

Alkaline Salt ◽

Gene Expression Dynamic

Abstract Background: Soil salinization is a major limiting factor for crop cultivation. Switchgrass is a perennial rhizomatous bunchgrass that is considered an ideal plant for marginal lands, including sites with saline soil. Here we investigated the physiological responses and transcriptome changes in the roots of Alamo (alkaline-tolerant genotype) and AM-314/MS-155 (alkaline-sensitive genotype) under alkaline salt stress.Results: Alkaline salt stress significantly affected the membrane, osmotic adjustment and antioxidant systems in switchgrass roots, and the ASTTI values between Alamo and AM-314/MS-155 were divergent at different time points. A total of 108,319 unigenes were obtained after reassembly, including 73,636 unigenes in AM-314/MS-155 and 65,492 unigenes in Alamo. A total of 10,219 DEGs were identified, and the number of upregulated genes in Alamo was much greater than that in AM-314/MS-155 in both the early and late stages of alkaline salt stress. The DEGs in AM-314/MS-155 were mainly concentrated in the early stage, while Alamo showed greater advantages in the late stage. These DEGs were mainly enriched in plant-pathogen interactions, ubiquitin-mediated proteolysis and glycolysis/gluconeogenesis pathways. We characterized 1,480 TF genes into 64 TF families, and the most abundant TF family was the C2H2 family, followed by the bZIP and bHLH families. A total of 1,718 PKs were predicted, including CaMK, CDPK, MAPK and RLK. WGCNA revealed that the DEGs in the blue, brown, dark magenta and light steel blue 1 modules were associated with the physiological changes in roots of switchgrass under alkaline salt stress. The consistency between the qRT-PCR and RNA-Seq results confirmed the reliability of the RNA-seq sequencing data. A molecular regulatory network of the switchgrass response to alkaline salt stress was preliminarily constructed on the basis of transcriptional regulation and functional genes.Conclusions: Alkaline salt tolerance of switchgrass may be achieved by the regulation of ion homeostasis, transport proteins, detoxification, heat shock proteins, dehydration and sugar metabolism. These findings provide a comprehensive analysis of gene expression dynamic and act network induced by alkaline salt stress in two switchgrass genotypes and contribute to the understanding of the alkaline salt tolerance mechanism of switchgrass and the improvement of switchgrass germplasm.

Download Full-text

The Halotolerant Rhizobacterium—Pseudomonas koreensis MU2 Enhances Inorganic Silicon and Phosphorus Use Efficiency and Augments Salt Stress Tolerance in Soybean (Glycine max L.)

Microorganisms ◽

10.3390/microorganisms8091256 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 8 (9) ◽

pp. 1256 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Arjun Adhikari ◽

Muhammad Aaqil Khan ◽

Ko-Eun Lee ◽

Sang-Mo Kang ◽

Sanjeev Kumar Dhungana ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Salt Stress ◽

Plant Biomass ◽

Phosphorus Uptake ◽

Phosphorus Use Efficiency ◽

Combined Application ◽

Root And Shoot Length ◽

Glycine Max L ◽

Ion Influx ◽

Use Efficiency ◽

Soybean Plants

Optimizing nutrient usage in plants is vital for a sustainable yield under biotic and abiotic stresses. Since silicon and phosphorus are considered key elements for plant growth, this study assessed the efficient supplementation strategy of silicon and phosphorus in soybean plants under salt stress through inoculation using the rhizospheric strain—Pseudomonas koreensis MU2. The screening analysis of MU2 showed its high salt-tolerant potential, which solubilizes both silicate and phosphate. The isolate, MU2 produced gibberellic acid (GA1, GA3) and organic acids (malic acid, citric acid, acetic acid, and tartaric acid) in pure culture under both normal and salt-stressed conditions. The combined application of MU2, silicon, and phosphorus significantly improved silicon and phosphorus uptake, reduced Na+ ion influx by 70%, and enhanced K+ uptake by 46% in the shoots of soybean plants grown under salt-stress conditions. MU2 inoculation upregulated the salt-resistant genes GmST1, GmSALT3, and GmAKT2, which significantly reduced the endogenous hormones abscisic acid and jasmonic acid while, it enhanced the salicylic acid content of soybean. In addition, MU2 inoculation strengthened the host’s antioxidant system through the reduction of lipid peroxidation and proline while, it enhanced the reduced glutathione content. Moreover, MU2 inoculation promoted root and shoot length, plant biomass, and the chlorophyll content of soybean plants. These findings suggest that MU2 could be a potential biofertilizer catalyst for the amplification of the use efficiency of silicon and phosphorus fertilizers to mitigate salt stress.

Download Full-text

Halotolerant Microbial Consortia for Sustainable Mitigation of Salinity Stress, Growth Promotion, and Mineral Uptake in Tomato Plants and Soil Nutrient Enrichment

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su13158369 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (15) ◽

pp. 8369

Author(s):

Chintan Kapadia ◽

R. Z. Sayyed ◽

Hesham Ali El Enshasy ◽

Harihar Vaidya ◽

Deepshika Sharma ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Salt Stress ◽

Salinity Stress ◽

Dry Weight ◽

Stress Factors ◽

Microbial Consortia ◽

Soil Conditions ◽

Mineral Uptake ◽

Shoot Height ◽

Tomato Plants ◽

Secondary Roots

Salinity significantly impacts the growth, development, and reproductive biology of various crops such as vegetables. The cultivable area is reduced due to the accumulation of salts and chemicals currently in use and is not amenable to a large extent to avoid such abiotic stress factors. The addition of microbes enriches the soil without any adverse effects. The effects of microbial consortia comprising Bacillus sp., Delftia sp., Enterobacter sp., Achromobacter sp., was evaluated on the growth and mineral uptake in tomatoes (Solanum Lycopersicum L.) under salt stress and normal soil conditions. Salinity treatments comprising Ec 0, 2, 5, and 8 dS/m were established by mixing soil with seawater until the desired Ec was achieved. The seedlings were transplanted in the pots of the respective pH and were inoculated with microbial consortia. After sufficient growth, these seedlings were transplanted in soil seedling trays. The measurement of soil minerals such as Na, K, Ca, Mg, Cu, Mn, and pH and the Ec were evaluated and compared with the control 0 days, 15 days, and 35 days after inoculation. The results were found to be non-significant for the soil parameters. In the uninoculated seedlings’ (control) seedling trays, salt treatment significantly affected leaf, shoot, root dry weight, shoot height, number of secondary roots, chlorophyll, and mineral contents. While bacterized seedlings sown under saline soil significantly increased leaf (105.17%), shoot (105.62%), root (109.06%) dry weight, leaf number (75.68%), shoot length (92.95%), root length (146.14%), secondary roots (91.23%), and chlorophyll content (−61.49%) as compared to the control (without consortia). The Na and K intake were higher even in the presence of the microbes, but the beneficial effect of the microbe helps plants sustain in the saline environment. The inoculation of microbial consortia produced more secondary roots, which accumulate more minerals and transport substances to the different parts of the plant; thus, it produced higher biomass and growth. Results of the present study revealed that the treatment with microbial consortia could alleviate the deleterious effects of salinity stress and improve the growth of tomato plants under salinity stress. Microbial consortia appear to be the best alternative and cost-effective and sustainable approach for managing soil salinity and improving plant growth under salt stress conditions.

Download Full-text