Significance and Applications of Plant Growth Promoting Rhizobacteria (PGPR) In Agriculture: A Review

Abstract

ABSTRACT Bacteria that colonize the rhizosphere and plant roots, and enhance plant growth by any mechanism are referred to as Plant Growth-Promoting Rhizobacteria (PGPR). Pathogenic microorganisms affecting crop production is the major and chronic threat to food production and ecosystem stability in global level. As agricultural production intensified over the past few decades, producers became more and more dependent on agrochemicals as a relatively reliable method of crop protection helping with economic stability of their operations. However, increasing use of chemical inputs causes several negative effects, i.e., development of pathogen resistance to the applied agents and their non-target environmental impacts. Biological control is thus being considered as an alternative or a supplemental way of reducing the use of chemicals in agriculture. In the context of increasing international concern for food and environmental quality, the use of PGPR for reducing chemical inputs in agriculture is a potentially important issue. PGPR have been applied to various crops to enhance growth, seed emergence and crop yield, and some have been commercialized. Keywords: Agriculture, Plant Growth-Promoting Rhizobacteria