Plant Growth Promoting Rhizobacteria (PGPR) and Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi Combined Application Reveals Enhanced Soil Fertility and Rice Production

Abstract

Rice (Oryza sativa L.) is an important crop that is grown worldwide to supply the world’s expanding food demand. In the current study, the effects of plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) and Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) on soil fertility and rice growth were explored. Rice plants were inoculated to evaluate how AMF fungi and PGPR affect various aspects of soil and plants, implicating abiotic stress tolerances. The experiment was carried out in a completely randomized design with three replicates under the controlled conditions. Results depicted that the plants that were inoculated with a mixture of AMF and PGPR had better yields and nutritional concentrations, while both AMF and PGPR lowered soil pH and organic matter differently. Similarly, AMF and PGPR treatments significantly increased the amount of N, P, K, and B in the post-harvest soil. The PGPR-inoculated plants had a 10–40% higher buildup of N in their tissues. Similarly, when they were compared with non-infected plants, AMF-inoculated treatments demonstrated a greater N accumulation in the rice tissue. The maximum P content in plant tissues was 0.149% in PGPR5-infected plants, either alone or in combination with AMF. In T12, AMF + PGPR5 inoculated rice plants, the maximum K uptake was 1.98%, which was 54% higher than the control treatment. The sole application of AMF raised K buildup in rice tissues by 38% compared with the control treatment. The improved productivity of plants with AMF and PGPR (especially with PGPR5) was attributed to the increased availability of nutrients in the soil. As a result, rice plant growth, yield, and essential element uptakes were boosted significantly. The present study’s results suggested using the combined application of AMF + PGPR5 for improving the rice yield and for sustaining the soil health.

Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi and Higher Plants

“…3.1). For instance, the interaction of AMF and several bacterial genera including plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) and mycorrhiza helper bacteria (MHB) have been shown to support the health of AMF symbiosis, development of hyphae, germination of spore, colonization of root and the metabolous efficiency of AMF (Chen et al 2023c). Some of the noteworthy interactions between AMF and bacteria include the binding of bacteria to the fungal spore, production of volatiles by bacteria, transfer of chemicals inside the fungal spore by bacteria and disintegration of the fungal cellular wall (Miransari 2011).…”

Halophilic Plant-Associated Bacteria with Plant-Growth-Promoting Potential

“…There is also an interesting recent publication on combinations of a Bacillus strain with other bacteria including a Pseudomonas strain to promote plant growth [58]. Other work has shown the promise of a combination of bacterial and mycorrhizal fungal applications in enhancing soil fertility and rice production due to enhanced mineral uptake from the soil [59].…”

Research Progress in Crop Root Biology and Nitrogen Uptake and Use, with Emphasis on Cereal Crops

“…In recent years, the application of genomics metabonomics, genomics transcriptomics, and other related technologies has revealed the growth-promoting mechanism of microorganisms, providing new ideas for the development of microbial agents [15]. In recent years [16], the research has shown that the combination of plant growth-promoting rhizosphere bacteria (PGPR) and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), especially AMF+PGPR5, significantly improves rice growth, and yield, and the absorption of essential elements in rice plants. Microbial fertilizers will become a new direction leading the future development of the fertilizer industry and an inevitable choice for the sustainable development of agriculture in China.…”