Plant-Growth-Promoting Bacteria (PGPB) against Insects and Other Agricultural Pests

Abstract

The interest in using plant-growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB) as biopesticides is significantly growing as a result of the discovery of new properties of certain beneficial microbes in protecting agricultural crops. While several rhizobial species have been widely exploited for their ability to optimize plant use of environmental resources, now the focus is shifted to species that are additionally capable of improving plant health and conferring resistance to abiotic stress and deleterious biotic agents. In some cases, PGPB species may directly act against plant pathogens and parasites through a variety of mechanisms, including competition, protective biofilm formation, and the release of bioactive compounds. The use of this type of bacteria is in line with the principles of ecosustainability and integrated pest management, including the reduction of employing chemical pesticides. Several strains of Bacillus, Paenibacillus, Brevibacillus, Pseudomonas, Serratia, Burkholderia, and Streptomyces species have been the subject of specific studies in this direction and are under evaluation for further development for their use in biological control. Accordingly, specific case studies are presented and discussed.

Roles of Plant Growth-Promoting Rhizobacteria (PGPR) in Stimulating Salinity Stress Defense in Plants: A Review

“…The close alliance among soil, plant, and microbes exists during the entire life cycle of plants promotes plant development, induces systemic resistance in the host plant against pathogens and mitigates salinity stress [ 76 ]. PGPR have been widely used for decades to control insects pests [ 77 ], plant diseases [ 78 ], to promote plant growth [ 79 ], to manage nutrient [ 80 ], and to alleviate abiotic stress [ 81 ]. The ameliorative functions of PGPR consist of three aspects, namely, the ability to protect themselves against hyperosmotic conditions and abnormal NaCl concentrations, the capacity to aid plant tolerate better to elevated salinity, and to improve soil quality [ 82 ].…”

Oral Toxicity of Pseudomonas protegens against Muscoid Flies

“…Pseudomonas protegens is a soil-dwelling bacterium characterized by an increasing scientific and industrial interest as a growth promoting agent for cultivated plants [1]. Like other pseudomonad species, this bacterium is able to colonize the rhizosphere favoring biochemical mechanisms increasing the availability of soil nutrients to the plant.…”

Down in the pond: Isolation and characterization of a new Serratia marcescens strain (LVF3) from the surface water near frog’s lettuce (Groenlandia densa)

“…Andrimid production was also detected in the plant-associated Serratia plymuthica A153 and Serratia marcescens MSU97 [ 62 , 63 ]. Orfamide as a bioactive compound may be released for plant protection [ 64 ]. The O-antigen of lipopolysaccharides is responsible for a normal growth rate in plants such as tomatoes [ 65 ].…”