Abstract
A multitude of roles is played by microbes in food and agriculture that include nutrient cycling and management, organic matter decomposition and fermentation. Plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR), representing microbial groups and with ability of colonizing plant roots, influence plant growth through various indirect and direct modes in order to promote its growth and/or protect it from diseases or damage due to insect attack. Thus, PGPR research has received renewed interest worldwide. Increasing number of crop-specific PGPR are being commercialized these days. Approaches like seed-inoculation and soil application either alone or in combination with bacterial culture/product for increased nutrient availability through phosphate solubilisation, potassium solubilisation, sulfur oxidation, nitrogen fixation, iron, and copper chelation are gaining popularity. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) are root fungal symbiont that improve management of abiotic stress such as phosphorus deficiency. PGPR involves roles like production of indole acetic acid (IAA), ammonia (NH3), hydrogen cyanide (HCN), catalase, etc. PGPR also improve nutrient uptake by altering the level of plant hormone that enhances root surface area by increasing its girth and shape, thereby helping in absorbing more nutrients. PGPR facilitate seed germination, seedling growth and crop yield. An array of microbes includingPseudomonas, Azospirillum, Azotobacter, Klebsiella, Enterobacter, Alcaligenes, Arthrobacter, Burkholderia, Bacillus, andSerratiaenhance plant growth. VariousPseudomonassp. have demonstrated significant increase in germination, seedling growth and yield in different agricultural crops, including wheat. Hence, developing a successful crop-specific PGPR formulation, the candidate should possess characteristics like high rhizosphere competence, extensive competitive saprophytic ability, growth enhancing ability, ease of mass production, broad-spectrum action, safety toward the environment and compatibility with other partnering organisms.
Highlights
The twenty-first century has been witnessing rapid rise in human population along with critical issues in global agroecosystems, leading to decreased productivity and degeneration of sustainable agroecosystem
Though Plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) helps in plant growth and productivity, it improves soil properties through various mechanisms to regulate soil metal contaminants (Table 2)
Crop yield is affected by a wide range of ecological concern emerging from complex natural conditions
Summary
The twenty-first century has been witnessing rapid rise in human population along with critical issues in global agroecosystems, leading to decreased productivity and degeneration of sustainable agroecosystem. Numerous drastic conditions including heavy metal toxicity, salinity, drought, and flooding affecting the plant microbiome and the surrounding ecology are abiotic stress. Hyper-aggregation of noxious metals like Hg, As, Cd, and Pb in soil result in plant stress, and extraordinarily diminish crop productivity. Though PGPR helps in plant growth and productivity, it improves soil properties through various mechanisms to regulate soil metal contaminants (Table 2).
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