Several Rhodopseudomonas palustris strains have been isolated from rice paddy fields in Taiwan by combining the Winogradsky column method and molecular marker detection. These isolates were initially screened by employing seed germination and seedling vigor assays to evaluate their potential as inoculants. To fulfill the demand in the present farming system for reducing the application of chemical fertilizers, we assessed the plant growth-promoting effects of the R. palustris YSC3, YSC4, and PS3 inoculants on Brassica rapa chinensis (Chinese cabbage) cultivated under a half quantity of fertilizer. The results obtained showed that supplementation with approximately 4.0×106 CFU g−1 soil of the PS3 inoculant at half the amount of fertilizer consistently produced the same plant growth potential as 100% fertility, and also increased the nitrogen use efficiency of the applied fertilizer nutrients. Furthermore, we noted that the plant growth-promotion rate elicited by PS3 was markedly higher with old seeds than with new seeds, suggesting it has the potential to boost the development of seedlings that were germinated from carry-over seeds of poor quality. These beneficial traits suggest that the PS3 isolate may serve as a potential PGPR inoculant for integrated nutrient management in agriculture.

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bBiocontrol agents isolated outside Africa have performed inconsistently under field conditions in Africa. The development of indigenous phytobeneficial microbial strains that suit local environments may help enhance competitiveness with in situ microorganisms and effectiveness at suppressing local pathogen strains. We isolated bacteria from the rhizosphere of maize growing in southwestern Nigeria and assessed them for growth-promoting characteristics. The best isolates were characterized using 16S rRNA genes and were further evaluated in the greenhouse on maize seedlings. Four isolates (EBS8, IGBR11, EPR2, and ADS14) were outstanding in in vitro assays of antagonistic activity against a local strain of Fusarium verticillioides, phosphate solubilization efficiency, chitinase enzyme activity, and indole-3-acetic acid production. Inoculation of maize seeds with these isolates resulted in >95% maize seed germination and significantly enhanced radicle and plumule length. In the greenhouse, maize seedling height, stem girth, number of leaves, leaf area, shoot mass (dry matter), and nutrient contents were significantly enhanced. The bioprotectant and phytobeneficial effects were strongest and most consistent for isolate EBS8, which was identified as a Bacillus strain by 16S rRNA gene analysis. As a bacterial strain that exhibits multiple growth-promoting characteristics and is adapted to local conditions, EBS8 should be considered for the development of indigenous biological fertilizer treatments. Maize was traditionally grown as a subsistence crop on small plots in home gardens in West and Central Africa, but it has recently expanded into a local "cash crop," especially in southwestern Nigeria, where Ͼ30% of cropland is devoted to maize production (1). However, maize productivity is often low in Nigeria due to a combination of agrobiological (2), climatic (3, 4), and technological (5) factors coupled with high postharvest losses (6). In addition to continued soil nutrient limitation (5), diseases such as downy mildew, rust, leaf blight, leaf spot, maize streak virus, and root, stalk, collar, and ear rots (7, 8) are among the major factors that limit maize production in southwestern Nigeria. Thus, national and international bodies have raised a global call to promote maize production through the management of biological communities associated with agroecosystems, which is an environmentally friendly and cost-effective strategy (4). In this regard, the use of plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) can play an important role in developing sustainable systems of crop production (9). PGPR can play a pivotal role in crop production by means of siderophore production, antagonism to soilborne root pathogens, phosphate solubilization, and dinitrogen fixation (10). PGPR are also known to alter root morphology and enhance the uptake of essential nutrients by plants (10).Despite the potential benefits of using rhizobacteria to enhance crop protection (11), they remain largely untapped in the effort to improve maize producti...

Rhodopseudomonas palustris strain PS3, a phototrophic bacterium, was originally isolated from a paddy field located in Taipei city, Taiwan, and showed positive effects on the growth of leafy vegetables. The aim of this study was to clarify the mechanism of the beneficial effects exerted by PS3 on plants. An ineffective R. palustris strain, YSC3, isolated from a paddy field located in Yilan County, was used as the negative control for comparative analyses. We cultivated non-heading Chinese cabbage (Brassica rapa var. chinensis) in 1/2 strength Hoagland hydroponic solution, in which nitrate is the main nitrogen source. We evaluated various plant physiological responses to inoculation with different bacterial inoculants. The N use efficiency (NUE) of PS3-inoculated plants was dramatically higher than that of YSC3-inoculated plants. The nitrate uptake efficiency (NUpE) was significantly elevated in plants treated with PS3; however, no excess nitrate accumulation was observed in leaves. We also noticed that the endogenous indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) levels as well as the cell division rate in the leaves of PS3-inoculated plants were significantly higher than those in the leaves of YSC3-inoculated plants. We examined the bacterial transcription of some genes during root colonization, and found that the expression level of IAA synthesis related gene MAO was almost the same between these two strains. It suggests that the elevated endogenous IAA in the PS3-inoculated plants was not directly derived from the exogenous IAA produced by this bacterium. Taken together, we deduced that PS3 inoculation could promote plant growth by enhancing nitrate uptake and stimulating the accumulation of endogenous auxin in young expanding leaves to increase the proliferation of leaf cells during leaf development.