Abstract
The interest in using plant-growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB) as biopesticides is significantly growing as a result of the discovery of new properties of certain beneficial microbes in protecting agricultural crops. While several rhizobial species have been widely exploited for their ability to optimize plant use of environmental resources, now the focus is shifted to species that are additionally capable of improving plant health and conferring resistance to abiotic stress and deleterious biotic agents. In some cases, PGPB species may directly act against plant pathogens and parasites through a variety of mechanisms, including competition, protective biofilm formation, and the release of bioactive compounds. The use of this type of bacteria is in line with the principles of ecosustainability and integrated pest management, including the reduction of employing chemical pesticides. Several strains of Bacillus, Paenibacillus, Brevibacillus, Pseudomonas, Serratia, Burkholderia, and Streptomyces species have been the subject of specific studies in this direction and are under evaluation for further development for their use in biological control. Accordingly, specific case studies are presented and discussed.
Highlights
The evolving interactions between microorganisms and plants have led to the establishment of intimate relationships supporting plant growth and promoting their health and access to nutrients from the external environment
The Burkholderia genus includes a wide range of species with high biology diversity, some of which are involved in plant growth promotion and biocontrol
Burkholderia rinojensis sp. nov. was found to act against insect pests and mites, which led to the development of new biopesticidal products [59]
Summary
The evolving interactions between microorganisms and plants have led to the establishment of intimate relationships supporting plant growth and promoting their health and access to nutrients from the external environment. In addition to supporting the optimization of the use of soil resources like nutrients and water, soil bacteria may further promote plant growth by interacting with plant physiology through the production of phytohormones involved in plant response to stress [5] These microbes play a supportive role in fostering plant health, both by assisting the nutrient acquisition process and through indirect mechanisms that protect plants from potential pathogens and parasites (Figure 1). Certain bacteria that are recognized as plant growth promoters may play a role in protecting plants against invertebrate pests through diverse mechanisms, including pathogenesis and the production of a variety of insecticidal toxins, virulence factors, and metabolites (Table 2).
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