Abstract
Due to the increase in both human population growth and environmental pressure, it is necessary to raise agricultural productivity without enhancing environmental footprint. Within this context, soil inoculation with PGPB (Plant Growth Promoting Bacteria) may be considered a promising tool of integrated management systems. In particular, PGPB may improve plant growth either directly, by facilitating resource use or modulating plant hormone levels, or indirectly by decreasing the inhibitory effects of various pathogenic agents. PGPB comprise different functional and taxonomic groups of bacteria like Pseudomonas, Bacillus, Rhizobium and others. Their ability to either mobilize mineral or organic bound nutrients from the pedosphere or to fix atmospheric N2 and make it available to the plants, is a crucial feature in their application. In literature some data are available on the use of commercial PGPB, while less efforts have been made on the study of the effect of autochthonous PGPB isolated from soils on sustainability of cropping systems; thus a literature survey on these aspects was carried out with special focus on wheat, a staple food for a large part of world population. In particular, the main topic of this review is the potential of PGPB to enhance use efficiency of agro-environmental resources focusing on the interaction PGPB-wheat for improving nitrogen use efficiency.
Highlights
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) reported a projection of world population of 9.1 billion in 2050
In literature some data are available on the use of commercial plant growth promoting bacteria (PGPB), while less efforts have been made on the study of the effect of autochthonous PGPB isolated from soils on sustainability of cropping systems; a literature survey on these aspects was carried out with special focus on wheat, a staple food for a large part of world population
Durum wheat (Triticum turgidum L. subsp durum), a crop well adapted to Mediterranean basin, is a staple food for a part of world population being mainly used for pasta production [6]
Summary
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) reported a projection of world population of 9.1 billion in 2050. Present concerns about crop and environmental sustainability are putting added emphasis on increasing the nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) of crops. Green biotechnologies have been proposed as new strategies for the management of the crops by improving the nutrient uptake efficiency, controlling biotic adversity, reducing the use of fertilizers, etc [9,10]. Soil inoculation with PGPB is a promising tool of integrated management systems to increase the efficiency of plants’ use of nutrients (from either soil or fertilizers) through microbial technology and the sustainability of the cropping systems. After an initial overview on environmental problems due to the crop intensification, this study reports (i) the use of PGPB to improve the sustainability of cropping systems; (ii) how PGPB interact with plants (in particular with wheat) for the improvement of resources uptake efficiency; (iii) a focus on NUE in wheat
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