Plant Growth-promoting Microorganisms Research Articles

Towards Sustainable Agriculture: Integrating Agronomic Practices, Environmental Physiology and Plant Nutrition

Sustainable agriculture aims to meet the growing global demand for food without compromising environmental integrity. This review paper explores the integration of agronomic practices, environmental physiology, and plant nutrition as pathways toward sustainable crop production. Intensive agricultural practices have led to significant problems such as soil degradation, loss of biodiversity, and environmental pollution. Recent advancements in plant physiology have enhanced our understanding of plant growth and response to biotic and abiotic stresses. Optimizing crop production in a sustainable manner depends on insights into key processes like photosynthesis, water use efficiency, and nutrient uptake. This review discusses the role of plant growth-promoting microorganisms (PGPMs) as biofertilizers, providing an alternative to harmful agrochemicals. PGPMs can improve soil health and promote plant growth when applied to soil, seeds, or plant surfaces, reducing reliance on synthetic fertilizers and pesticides. Additionally, nanotechnology in agriculture is examined, illustrating how nanomaterials (NMs) and nano-based fertilizers can enhance nutrient absorption and increase crop yields. Beyond these scientific approaches, there is an urgent need to implement novel agricultural practices that support sustainability. The world population is growing at a disquieting rate, placing tremendous pressure on natural resources. This threatens future generations' access to nutritious food and clean air. Innovative approaches like climate-smart agriculture, organic farming, biodynamic agriculture, sustainable intensification, and regenerative agriculture, along with practices such as integrated farming systems, precision agriculture, integrated nutrient management, and integrated pest management, have proven to safeguard agricultural sustainability. By integrating these innovative approaches and practices, it is possible to meet the increasing demands for food while preserving the environment.

Identification of antimicrobial compounds from the plant growth promoting bacteria (PGPR) tested against Fusarium wilt of tomato caused by Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. Lycopersici

Plant infections and bothers are chance components debilitating worldwide nourishment security. Over the top utilize of chemical pesticides is frequently utilized to diminish the impacts of plant illnesses caused by bacterial and parasitic pathogens. The greatest concern as we work towards more feasible horticulture is expanding agrarian efficiency for a developing populace. Microbial biocontrol operators (MBCAs) have illustrated their viability as a green procedure to oversee plant illnesses, invigorate edit development and execution, and increment yields. Other than their growth-promoting part, plant growth-promoting bacteria/fungi (PGPR/PGPF) can stifle plant illnesses by creating inhibitory chemicals and actuating a plant resistant reaction against plant pathogens. As biofertilizers and biopesticides, PGPR and PGPF are considered financially practical and appealing strategies for economical horticulture; This leads to a “win–win” circumstance. A few strains of PGPR and PGPF have been distinguished as compelling BCAs beneath controlled natural conditions. In common, any MBCA must overcome certain challenges some time recently it can be enrolled or broadly utilized for disease/pest control. Viable MBCA gives a down to earth arrangement to progress nursery edit execution with decreased fertilizer inputs and chemical pesticide utilize. This current audit points to fill the current crevice in information on plant growth-promoting microorganisms (PGPM), drawing consideration to the logical premise for arrangement improvement and proposals. Extra investigate related to commercial utilize of PGPM.

Studies on the Impact of Microbial Consortia towards Enhancing the Growth of Red Sanders

The use of plant growth-promoting microorganisms, either alone or combined, as bioinoculants presents an economical and eco-friendly alternative to chemical fertilizers. This method provides a comprehensive solution for enhancing plant growth and yield. This study aimed to develop robust microbial consortia possessing plant growth-promoting capabilities and evaluate their effectiveness in enhancing tree seedling growth. Six bacterial strains were collected and screened for specific traits linked to promoting plant growth. Selected strains were then assessed for compatibility with each other, resulting in the formation of bacterial consortia. These consortia demonstrated diverse plant growth-promoting properties, including the production of the plant growth hormone indole acetic acid and the synthesis of exopolysaccharides. Consequently, these bacterial consortia exhibit significant potential as bioinoculants, offering a promising approach to enhancing plant growth and productivity in an environmentally friendly manner. This contributes to the progress of efforts aimed at promoting seedling growth.

Biofertilizers- Towards Sustainable Agriculture Development

By 2050, there will be approximately 10 billion people on the planet, therefore finding greener methods to produce food will be crucial. A significant greener method involves the use of beneficial bacteria known as plant growth-promoting microorganisms. These microscopic organisms can increase crop yields, strengthen the soil and foster healthier plant growth. Beneficial microbes include bacteria, fungi, algae. They are eco-friendly and enhance nutrient absorption by the plants. These nutrients include nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. In addition, some species of biofertilizers produce plant growth hormones. The opinion article outlines the advantages and important biofertilizers strains which are used commercially.

Isolation and Molecular Profiling of Halotolerant Plant Growth Promoting Rhizosphere Fungi from Salt affected Agroforestry Plantation

Soil salinity is a major abiotic stress that adversely affects plant growth, and productivity. About 20% of irrigated lands are affected by salinity worldwide; In India, there are 6.74 million hectares of salt-affected lands. Salt-tolerant Plant Growth Promoting (PGP) microorganisms can enhance the growth of plants in such salt-stressed areas. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the diversity of beneficial fungal communities, screen for their ability to support plant growth, and evaluate the production of various essential compounds in view of plant growth in salt-stressed lands. A total of 68 fungal colonies were isolated from 5 different agroforestry plantation sites in Karur, Tamil Nadu, South India at quarterly intervals. The isolates were screened for sodium chloride (NaCl) tolerance (0%, 5%, 10%, 15%, and 20% concentration). A total of 7 isolates showed considerable salt tolerance and were tested qualitatively in-vitro, for PGP traits such as phosphate, potassium, and zinc solubilization, nitrogen fixation, hydrogen cyanide production, siderophore production, and ACC deaminase production. Finally, 5 isolates with maximum values for PGP properties under 20% NaCl concentration were tested for the quantity of Indole-3-Acetic Acid (IAA) and Exo-polysaccharide (EPS) production. All 5 isolates were identified up to the species level using 18S rRNA gene sequencing. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on isolating saline-tolerant PGP Fungi (PGPF) from the rhizosphere region of Casuarina equisetifolia and Eucalyptus camaldulensis in Karur, Tamil Nadu, India. In the future, the bioformulation of PGPF and its application will boost the cultivation of tree saplings in this salt affected regions.

Isolation of Plant Growth-Promoting Microorganisms and Their Impact on Growth and Yield of Durum Wheat

Isolation of Plant Growth-Promoting Microorganisms and Their Impact on Growth and Yield of Durum Wheat

EXPLORING THE MULTIFACETED INTERACTIONS BETWEEN MICROBES AND PLANTS FOR ENHANCING PLANT HEALTH, COMBATTING DISEASES, AND MITIGATING ABIOTIC STRESS

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMFs) are highlighted for their beneficial effects on plant development and stress tolerance. Plant-growth-promoting microorganisms (PGPMs), including various bacterial and fungal species, are identified as key players in enhancing plant growth, nutrient absorption, and disease resistance. The interactions between plants and soil microbes, such as nutrient mobilization and disease prevention, are explored in detail. The article emphasizes the importance of understanding plant-microbe interactions for developing sustainable agricultural practices. It discusses the potential of beneficial microorganisms, such as biological control agents (BCA) and plant-growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR), in improving crop productivity and disease management. The molecular mechanisms underlying plant defense responses and microbial interactions are investigated to develop innovative crop protection strategies. Furthermore, the review article delves into the role of microorganisms in mitigating abiotic stresses, such as salt, drought, and pollution. Plant Growth Promoting Bacteria (PGPB) are highlighted for their ability to enhance nutrient absorption, nitrogen fixation, and resistance to salt stress through induced systemic tolerance (IST). Phytoremediation techniques, which utilize bacteria coexisting with plants to remove organic contaminants and heavy metals from soils, are also discussed. Overall, the review article underscores the significance of plant-microbe interactions in agriculture and environmental remediation. It calls for further research to elucidate the complex mechanisms underlying these interactions and to develop effective strategies for harnessing the potential of beneficial microorganisms in promoting plant growth, nutrient uptake, and stress tolerance.

Phytohormone-Based Biostimulants as an Alternative Mitigating Strategy for Horticultural Plants Grown Under Adverse Multi-Stress Conditions: Common South African Stress Factors

Worldwide, it has been recorded extensively that plants are subjected to severe abiotic and biotic stressors. The scientific research community has widely reported that multi-abiotic stressors cause horticultural crop losses, accounting for at least 50 to 70% of the crop yield and quality losses. Therefore, this review focused on the detrimental effects caused by abiotic stress factors occurring in single-, combined- and multi-cell stresses on horticultural plants worldwide, along with the best production systems practices for mitigation during and post-single and combined abiotic or multi-stress damages. A conclusion and recommendation could be reached using the pool of research material, which constituted research articles, reviews, book chapters, thesis, research short communications and industrial short communications from at least twenty-five years ago. Findings showed that some of the leading abiotic stresses are single- and combined abiotic stressors like water deficit, salinity, soil pH, phosphate deficiency, wounding, soil density and pot size. Established commercial and smallholder farmers are globally adapting to plant growth regulators and biostimulants as part of their production systems. However, as much as the effectiveness of biostimulants containing humic acids, algal extracts, plant growth-promoting microorganisms and phytohormones has been reported to promote plant development under multi-stress, only a few studies are focusing on organic phytohormone-based biostimulants on horticultural crops grown under adverse multi stress factoring. In conclusion, the review recommends alternative solutions for emerging South African farmers and growers who cannot afford agricultural insurance options and energy alternatives on the common single- and combined abiotic- or multi-stress-factors.

Agronomic performance of plant growth-promoting microorganisms and nitrogen sufficiency index in common bean

This work aimed to assess Rhizobium tropici, Azospirillum brasilense, and Trichoderma asperellum co-inoculation effects, besides N-fertilizer supplementation as determined by the nitrogen sufficiency index (NSI) on the development of common bean. Field trials were carried out in a randomized block design with four replicates at three different locations. Treatments consisted of sole or combined inoculation of R. tropici, A. brasilense, and T. asperellum, besides N-fertilization. Seeds were inoculated with R. tropici and/or T. asperellum using 10 g of each inoculant kg−1 of seed. At the phenological stage V2/V3 A. brasilense was inoculated using 300 ml ha−1. Nitrogen sufficiency index (NSI), number of nodules (NN), nodule dry mass (NDM), root dry mass (RDM), shoot dry mass (SDM), number of pods (NP), number of grains (NG), and grain yield (GY) were assessed. NN and NDM were higher under R. tropici, A. brasilense, and T. asperellum co-inoculation. This same co-inoculation provided RDM and SDM similar to the use of 120 kg ha−1 of N. R. tropici, A. brasilense, and T. asperellum co-inoculation supplemented with N-fertilizer at the phenological stage R5, provide NP and NG similar to 120 kg ha−1 N, and to 80 kg ha−1 N supplemented with N at the phenological stage V4. NSI was effective to determine the N needs of common bean. The co-inoculation of two doses ha−1 of R. tropici, three doses ha−1 of A. brasilense and two doses ha−1 of T. asperellum, supplemented with N-fertilizer at phenological stage V4 based on NSI, stimulated growth and yield components of common bean, providing GY equivalent to the N-fertilized treatments.

Microbial Diversity and Functional Profiles of Three Commercial Biofertilizers and Impacts on the Bacterial Communities of Avocado’s Soil Rhizosphere

Chilean avocado (Persea americana Mill.) exports have accounted for 60 % of the total production and are recognized for their high quality worldwide. However, avocado production has significantly decreased in recent years, which is mainly attributed to abiotic and biotic factors, among which are high and low temperatures, intense and sudden rains, unavailability of water resources, and agricultural salinity. Secondary factors include pests and diseases. Applying plant growth promoting microorganisms (PGPM)-based commercial biofertilizers is a potential practice to increase avocado production and resistance to edaphoclimatic factors. In this study, to determine the functionality of microbial communities present in three commercial biofertilizers (Biofert A, Biofert B, and Biofert C) and thus offer a structure of associated microbial communities, the rhizospheric soil of avocado was analysed using the Biolog EcoPlate™ technique, providing information on the community level physiologic profiles (CLPP) and biodiversity indices by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE). The findings revealed that the microbial diversity in the three commercial biofertilizers is highly different, showing a SIMPER overall dissimilarity of 83.9 % in the catabolic capacity. Concerning the impact on avocados’ rhizosphere soil bacterial communities, the results demonstrated significant changes in their composition, particularly with Biofert A and C. In contrast, Biofert B did not show significant changes, especially on days 15 and 30. Long-term studies are recommended to develop sustainable agricultural practices for Chilean avocados.

Fungi beyond limits: The agricultural promise of extremophiles.

Global climate changes threaten food security, necessitating urgent measures to enhance agricultural productivity and expand it into areas less for agronomy. This challenge is crucial in achieving Sustainable Development Goal 2 (Zero Hunger). Plant growth-promoting microorganisms (PGPM), bacteria and fungi, emerge as a promising solution to mitigate the impact of climate extremes on agriculture. The concept of the plant holobiont, encompassing the plant host and its symbiotic microbiota, underscores the intricate relationships with a diverse microbial community. PGPM, residing in the rhizosphere, phyllosphere, and endosphere, play vital roles in nutrient solubilization, nitrogen fixation, and biocontrol of pathogens. Novel ecological functions, including epigenetic modifications and suppression of virulence genes, extend our understanding of PGPM strategies. The diverse roles of PGPM as biofertilizers, biocontrollers, biomodulators, and more contribute to sustainable agriculture and environmental resilience. Despite fungi's remarkable plant growth-promoting functions, their potential is often overshadowed compared to bacteria. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) form a mutualistic symbiosis with many terrestrial plants, enhancing plant nutrition, growth, and stress resistance. Other fungi, including filamentous, yeasts, and polymorphic, from endophytic, to saprophytic, offer unique attributes such as ubiquity, morphology, and endurance in harsh environments, positioning them as exceptional plant growth-promoting fungi (PGPF). Crops frequently face abiotic stresses like salinity, drought, high UV doses and extreme temperatures. Some extremotolerant fungi, including strains from genera like Trichoderma, Penicillium, Fusarium, and others, have been studied for their beneficial interactions with plants. Presented examples of their capabilities in alleviating salinity, drought, and other stresses underscore their potential applications in agriculture. In this context, extremotolerant and extremophilic fungi populating extreme natural environments are muchless investigated. They represent both new challenges and opportunities. As the global climate evolves, understanding and harnessing the intricate mechanisms of fungal-plant interactions, especially in extreme environments, is paramount for developing effective and safe plant probiotics and using fungi as biocontrollers against phytopathogens. Thorough assessments, comprehensive methodologies, and a cautious approach are crucial for leveraging the benefits of extremophilic fungi in the changing landscape of global agriculture, ensuring food security in the face of climate challenges.

Analysis of global research on vegetable seedlings and transplants and their impacts on product quality.

Previous research has established that using high-quality planting material during the early phase of vegetable production significantly impacts success and efficiency, leading to improved crop performance, faster time to harvest and better profitability. In the present study, we conducted a global analysis of vegetable seedlings and transplants, providing a comprehensive overview of research trends in seedling and transplant production to enhance the nutritional quality of vegetables. The analysis involved reviewing and quantitatively analysing 762 articles and 5248 keywords from the Scopus database from 1971 to 2022. We used statistical, mathematical and clustering tools to analyse bibliometrics and visualise the most relevant research topics. A visualisation map was generated to identify the evolution of keywords used in the articles, resulting in five clusters for further analysis. Our study highlights the importance of the size of seed trays for the type of crop, the mechanical seeder used and the greenhouse facilities to produce desirable transplants. We identified grafting and light-emitting diode (LED) lighting technology as rapidly expanding technologies in vegetable seedlings and transplant production used to promote plant qualitative profile. There is a need for sustainable growing media to optimise resources and reduce input use. Thus, applying grafting, LED artificial lighting, biostimulants, biofortification and plant growth-promoting microorganisms in seedling production can enhance efficiency and promote sustainable vegetable nutritional quality by accumulating biocompounds. Further research is needed to explore the working mechanisms and devise novel strategies to enhance the product quality of vegetables, commencing from the early stages of food production. © 2024 The Authors. Journal of The Science of Food and Agriculture published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.

Prospecting the Potential of Plant Growth-Promoting Microorganisms for Mitigating Drought Stress in Crop Plants.

Drought is a global phenomenon affecting plant growth and productivity, the severity of which has impacts around the whole world. A number of approaches, such as agronomic, conventional breeding, and genetic engineering, are followed to increase drought resilience; however, they are often time consuming and non-sustainable. Plant growth-promoting microorganisms are used worldwide to mitigate drought stress in crop plants. These microorganisms exhibit multifarious traits, which not only help in improving plant and soil health, but also demonstrate capabilities in ameliorating drought stress. The present review highlights various adaptive strategies shown by these microbes in improving drought resilience, such as modulation of various growth hormones and osmoprotectant levels, modification of root morphology, exopolysaccharide production, and prevention of oxidative damage. Gene expression patterns providing an adaptive edge for further amelioration of drought stress have also been studied in detail. Furthermore, the practical applications of these microorganisms in soil are highlighted, emphasizing their potential to increase crop productivity without compromising long-term soil health. This review provides a comprehensive coverage of plant growth-promoting microorganisms-mediated drought mitigation strategies, insights into gene expression patterns, and practical applications, while also guiding future research directions.

Testing plant growth promoting microorganisms in the field - a proposal for standards.

In the European Union and worldwide there are a burgeoning markets for plant growth promoting microorganisms (PGPM) and other biological agents as soil improvers, bio-fertilizers, plant bio-stimulants, and biological control agents or bio-pesticides. Microbial agents have a major share in this development. The use of such products is often advertised with the promise of contributing to sustainable agricultural practices by increasing crop growth and yield and offering an alternative or substitute to decrease the dependency of agriculture on hazardeous agrochemicals. In contrast to registered microbial plant protection products, PGPM that are marketed in the EU as soil improvers or plant biostimulants, are not strictly required to have proven minimum efficacy levels under field conditions. Manufacturers only have to ensure that these products do not pose unacceptable risks to human, animal or plant health, safety or the environment. Uniform guidelines comparable to the EPPO - standards (European and Mediterranean Plant Protection Organisation) to test the efficacy in field trials are not available. This paper attempts to fill the gap. It proposes guidelines for PGPM field trial design and implementation, as well as recommendations for the type and scope of data collection and evaluation. Selected research papers from literature were evaluated to analyze, whether and to what extent the requirements are already met. The majority of the papers had a clear experimental design followed by proper data evaluation. Frequent deficiencies were the low number of tested environments and crop species, insufficient site and agronomic management description and missing data on soil humidity and temperature. Using the suggested standards is assumed to increase the expressive power of tested microbial products.

Adaptive laboratory evolution reveals regulators involved in repressing biofilm development as key players in Bacillus subtilis root colonization.

Root-associated microorganisms play an important role in plant health, such as plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) from the Bacillus and Pseudomonas genera. Although bacterial consortia including these two genera would represent a promising avenue to efficient biofertilizer formulation, we observed that Bacillus subtilis root colonization is decreased by the presence of Pseudomonas fluorescens and Pseudomonas protegens. To determine if B. subtilis can adapt to the inhibitory effect of Pseudomonas on roots, we conducted adaptative laboratory evolution experiments with B. subtilis in mono-association or co-cultured with P. fluorescens on tomato plant roots. Evolved isolates with various colony morphology and stronger colonization capacity of both tomato plant and Arabidopsis thaliana roots emerged rapidly from the two evolution experiments. Certain evolved isolates also had better fitness on the root in the presence of other Pseudomonas species. In all independent lineages, whole-genome resequencing revealed non-synonymous mutations in genes ywcC or sinR encoding regulators involved in repressing biofilm development, suggesting their involvement in enhanced root colonization. These findings provide insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying B. subtilis adaptation to root colonization and highlight the potential of directed evolution to enhance the beneficial traits of PGPR.IMPORTANCEIn this study, we aimed to enhance the abilities of the plant-beneficial bacterium Bacillus subtilis to colonize plant roots in the presence of competing Pseudomonas bacteria. To achieve this, we conducted adaptive laboratory experiments, allowing Bacillus to evolve in a defined environment. We successfully obtained strains of Bacillus that were more effective at colonizing plant roots than the ancestor strain. To identify the genetic changes driving this improvement, we sequenced the genomes of these evolved strains. Interestingly, mutations that facilitated the formation of robust biofilms on roots were predominant. Many of these evolved Bacillus isolates also displayed the remarkable ability to outcompete Pseudomonas species. Our research sheds light on the mutational paths selected in Bacillus subtilis to thrive in root environments and offers exciting prospects for improving beneficial traits in plant growth-promoting microorganisms. Ultimately, this could pave the way for the development of more effective biofertilizers and sustainable agricultural practices.

Plant growth-promoting microorganisms, the future of agriculture

El crecimiento acelerado de la población mundial ha generado una necesidad en el incremento de la producción de alimentos, con el fin de abastecer las necesidades alimentarias. Por lo cual, en el campo de la agricultura se utilizado como estrategia el uso de fertilizantes y compuesto químicos, con el fin de eliminar las plagas y acelerar el crecimiento de las plantas. Sin considerar el impacto ambiental y las afectaciones que podrían causar a la salud de los seres humanos

Impact of Jeevamrut formulations and biofertilizers on soil microbial and chemical attributes during potato cultivation

Application of jeevamrut, fortified with neem cake or vermitea, in combination with consortia of plant growth-promoting microorganisms such as Azotobacter, Vesicular Arbuscular Mycorrhiza (VAM) or Phosphate Solubilizing Bacteria (PSB) would attenuate the negative effects of synthetic fertilizers over microbial and physicochemical properties of soil. The present study was carried out during 2021–2022 and 2022-23 with two factors, namely Factor-J (Jeevamrut) of 4 levels and Factor-B (Biofertilizers) of 5 levels. Four levels of factor-J include three jeevamrut formulations with one control while five levels of factor-B include four biofertilizer combinations with one control. Observations of various soil-based parameters confirm a significant reduction in soil pH and electrical conductivity of soil after harvesting potato crops (variety Kufri Bahar) under different treatments in comparison to controls and the initial value. Further, the organic carbon, available nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium of soil were reported to be enhanced after the application of jeevamrut fortified with vermitea or neem cake. The efficacy of fortified jeevamrut can be further improved by adding a consortia of biofertilizers consisting of PSB and Azotobactor or VAM fungi. These treatments have also a significant effect on enhancing soil microbial activities.

Microbial Allies in Agriculture: Harnessing Plant Growth-Promoting Microorganisms as Guardians against Biotic and Abiotic Stresses

Plants face many biological and non-biological challenges throughout their life cycle, from seed to harvest. These challenges have recently increased due to climate changes. Strategies for confronting different types of stresses depend on the type of stress, the cultivated plant, climatic conditions, soil characteristics, water variables, cost, and management system. Chemical methods (fertilizers and pesticides) have been widely used to manage abiotic and biotic stresses, but they raise concerns about environmental contamination, toxic residues, and the development of resistant pathogens. Eco-friendly strategies have recently become one of the most important approaches to obtaining high-quality and quantitative plant-based products. Microbial inoculants, such as plant growth-promoting microorganisms (PGPM), offer a sustainable alternative to chemical methods. PGPM can augment plant growth and nutrition, improve plant tolerance to abiotic stresses, and reduce the growth of certain pathogens. They employ a variety of mechanisms to alleviate stressors and boost plant resilience, including nutrient assimilation, production of metabolites, and activation of systemic resistance. This review aims to elucidate the impact of PGPM, with a particular focus on plant growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB), and their mechanisms of action on plants under varying stressors, while also identifying areas for further research in both PGPB and other non-bacterial organisms.

Endophytic Enterobacter sp. YG-14 mediated arsenic mobilization through siderophore and its role in enhancing phytostabilization

Soil arsenic (As) phytoremediation has long faced the challenge of efficiently absorbing As by plant accumulators while maintaining their health and fast growth. Even at low doses, arsenic is highly toxic to plants. Therefore, plant growth-promoting microorganisms that can mediate As accumulation in plants are of great interest. In this study, the endophyte Enterobacter sp. YG-14 (YG-14) was found to have soil mobilization activity. By constructing a siderophore synthesis gene deletion mutant (ΔentD) of YG-14, the endophyte was confirmed to effectively mobilize Fe-As complexes in mining soil by secreting enterobactin, releasing bioavailable Fe and As to the rhizosphere. YG-14 also enhances As accumulation in host plants via extracellular polymer adsorption and specific phosphatase transfer protein (PitA) absorption. The root accumulation of As was positively correlated with YG-14 root colonization. In addition, YG-14 promoted plant growth and alleviated oxidative damage in R. pseudoacacia L. under arsenic stress. This is the first study, from phenotype, physiology, and molecular perspectives, to determine the role of endophyte in promoting As phytostabilization and maintaining the growth of the host plant. This demonstrated the feasibility of using endophytes with high siderophore production to assist host plants in As phytoremediation.

Assessment of the Impacts of Plant Growth-Promoting Micro-Organisms on Potato Farming in Different Climatic Conditions in Morocco

Environmental concerns are gradually reducing the global yield capacity of agricultural systems, with climate change representing the most significant challenge. Globally, Potatoes are the most essential non-cereal crop. Therefore, understanding the potential impacts of climate change on potato production is crucial for maintaining future global food security. This study aims to explore the roles played by PGPMs in two distinct regions, which are characterized by different climatic conditions, to assess their influence on two potato varieties, namely Siena and Bellini. Inoculation with these strains, particularly the Aureobasidium pullulans strains Ach1-1 and Ach1-2, resulted in significant improvements in growth and yield. In 2018, impressive yields of 194.1 kg/0.05 ha and 186.6 kg/0.05 ha were recorded for the two strains, with the Ain Taoujdate site achieving yields of 157.1 kg/0.05 ha and 151.1 kg/0.05 ha for each of the two strains. Additionally, further observations revealed that the Siena variety is more susceptible to rot than the Bellini variety. However, Ach1-1 and Ach1-2 strains had a significant effect on this rot, showcasing their potential to mitigate this negative issue in the Bellini variety. These promising results underscore the potential of PGPMs to enhance potato production in the Fez–Meknes region of Morocco, contributing to global food security amid climate change.