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Plant Growth-Promoting Rhizobacteria Significantly Improves Growth Attributes and Photosynthetic Machinery in Wheat

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Abstract

Despite of extensive research in isolating and identifying plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria, the rhizosphere of weeds is still ignored. The current study demonstrates a great opportunity to isolate and identify novel beneficial microbes from weed rhizosphere having the potential to improve plant growth. Nine bacterial strains were isolated from the rhizosphere of Cyperus rotundus L. found in three different crops, i.e., cotton, maize, and rice, and screened for plant growth-promoting (PGP) traits. Out of nine isolates, two isolates (WBN01 and WBN02) possessed all PGP traits and showed the potential for ammonia production, protease activity, and catalase activity. Both strains were N2 fixers, secreted indole acetic acid (IAA), and showed phosphate (P)-solubilizing potential, among which WBN01 had higher IAA production (8.69 µg/mL) and P-solubilization (53.83 µg/mL) capacity. These strains were identified as Enterobacter spp. based on their morpho-physiological characters, 16S rRNA gene analysis, and phylogenetic analysis. Greenhouse experiment showed that the inoculation of isolates to wheat plants significantly improved their growth and photosynthetic machinery. On the other hand, these isolates down-regulated photosynthetic electron transport, absorption, and trapping fluxes, consequently increasing PSII photochemistry. The enhanced antioxidant catalase enzyme activity, protein content, and greater accumulation of proline contents due to bacterial inoculation have more significant effect on improving PSII machinery. This study reveals that weeds rhizosphere possesses novel Enterobacter spp. microbes, which can serve as potent biofertilizers, while reducing the application of chemical fertilizers without affecting normal plant growth.

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Data Availability

Data that support the findings of this study have been deposited in “GenBank” under the accession numbers MT796341 and MT796342.

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Acknowledgements

The authors are thankful to Dr. Habib-ur-Rehman Athar for providing necessary laboratory facilities at the Institute of Pure and Applied Biology to carry out present research work.

Funding

This study was partially funded by Deputy Director, Higher Education Commission, Islamabad, Pakistan under Startup Research Grant Program—R & D via Grant Number 21- 1627/SRGP/R&D/HEC/2017.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Bahauddin Zakariya University, Multan, 60800, Pakistan

    Tahir Naqqash, Mahreen Fatima,  Saif-ur-Rehman, Sherien Bukhat, Ghulam Shabir & Muhammad Babar

  2. Department of Bioinformatics and Biotechnology, Government College University, Faisalabad, 38000, Pakistan

    Muhammad Shahid

  3. Department of Environmental Science, COMSATS University Islamabad, Vehari Campus, Vehari, Pakistan

    Muhammad Tahir

  4. Department of Biotechnology, University of Okara, Okara, Pakistan

    Muhammad Arshad

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  1. Tahir Naqqash
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Conception and design: MB and TN; Data acquisition: MS and MT; Data analysis: MF and Saif ur Rehman; Critical revision of the manuscript: GS and MA; Writing and approval of the final submitted version: TN and SB.

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Naqqash, T., Fatima, M., Saif-ur-Rehman et al. Plant Growth-Promoting Rhizobacteria Significantly Improves Growth Attributes and Photosynthetic Machinery in Wheat. J Plant Growth Regul 41, 3372–3386 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00344-021-10519-8

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