Abstract
Rapidly increasing worldwide industrialization has led to many environmental problems by the liberation of pollutants such as heavy metals. Day by day increasing metal contamination in soil and water can be best coped by the interaction of potential plant growth promoting rhizobacteria for plant growth. The effect of plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) treatment on growth of chilli plant subjected to heavy metal stress was evaluated. Growth of chilli plant was examined with inoculation of two isolated PGPR (Lysinibacillus varians and Pseudomonas putida) under cadmium (30 ppm), lead (150 ppm) and the combination of heavy metal (Cd+Pb) stress condition. Among these two bacteria L. varians produced slightly better plant growth enhancement. Different growth parameters of chilli plants were reduced under heavy metal stress. Whereas, Cd and Pb tolerant PGPR inoculation, in root associated soil, enhanced plant growth development under test heavy metal contaminated soil. So, these PGPRs may easily be used as bio-fertilizers which will nullify the adverse effect of heavy metal on plant growth.
Highlights
Heavy metals are non-degradable and eventually contaminate the environment and plants [1] causing serious human health hazards [2]
Two most potent heavy metal tolerant plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) were selected for further study
As the selected bacterial isolates can tolerate much higher concentration of cadmium and lead, they survived under heavy metal stressed soil condition for a long day
Summary
Heavy metals are non-degradable and eventually contaminate the environment and plants [1] causing serious human health hazards [2]. The heavy metals with deadly in nature include zinc (Zn), chromium (Cr), arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), copper (Cu), mercury (Hg), nickel (Ni) and lead (Pb) [3]. Elevated levels of heavy metal ions in the environment cause different morphological and biochemical alteration in plant such as inhibition of Horizon e-Publishing Group seed germination, underdeveloped root-shoot growth, induce leaf chlorosis, decreased photosynthesis, increased oxidative stress, initiation of senescence, etc [4, 5]. Heavy metal accumulation in plant body subsequently transferred to higher trophic level and responsible for declining immunological defences, intrauterine growth retardation, and disabilities associated with malnutrition and upper gastrointestinal cancer in humans [6,7,8]. Cd and Pb pollution hamper plant quality and yield and cause disturbances in the composition, size, and activity of the microbial community [10]
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