Molecular Identification and Characterization of Indigenous Rhizobacteria from Haryana and Punjab and Their Inoculation Effect on Prosopis cineraria

Abstract

India grapples with escalating soil salinity, projected to afflict 16.2 million hectares by 2050. Reforestation, vital in North India's sodic wastelands, counters severe degradation. Rhizobacteria that promote plant growth (PGPR) are essential for managing forests sustainably. These microbes help rhizosphere plants form symbiotic relationships that promote hormone production, nitrogen fixation, increased phosphate availability, iron sequestration, and defense against outside threats. The study aimed to isolate halo-tolerant microbial strains from salt-affected areas and studied their effect on tree species to alleviate their overall growth in Punjab and Haryana. We isolated 880 bacterial isolates from salt-affected areas in Punjab and Haryana; they have a variety of metabolic capabilities and are resistant to both salty and alkaline environments. Pot studies with a range of tree species verify the beneficial effects of particular bacterial strains, such as Pseudomonas mosselli and Klebsiella aerogenes, on soil &plant development metrics. Validation of these results by 16S rRNA gene sequencing highlights the potential of these isolates for soil remediation in salt-affected areas. The study highlighted the importance of microbial interventions in alleviating soil deterioration and fostering sustainable land use practices, and it suggests more field studies with different varieties of trees.