Biodiversity and biotechnological applications of novel plant growth promoting methylotrophs

Abstract

Methylotrophic bacterial community is a very important group of bacteria utilizing reduced carbon compounds. Methylotrophic bacteria are well enough to survive in all types of environmental conditions including acidic/alkaline habitats,1–3 hyper saline,4,5 drought,6¬–8 low temperature9–11 and high temperature.6,12,13 The methylotrophic microbes help plant for adaptation under diverse unfavourable environmental conditions. The pink pigmented facultative methylotrophic (PPFMs) bacteria is abundantly reported as plant microbiomes (epiphytes, endophytes, rhizospheric).11,13,14 The methylotrophic microbes could be promote the plant growth and soil health for sustainable agriculture directly by N2-fixation fixation; P, K and Zn solubilization; production of Fe-chelating compounds; production of PGP hormones such gibberellic acids, auxin and cytokinin and ACC deaminase activities6,11,13,15 or by in-directly by production of siderophores, ammonia, HCN, enzymes and secondary metabolites.16,17 The plant growth promoting methylotrophs as single bioinoculants or with co-inoculated as microbial consortium may be use as bioinoculants/biofertilizers of biocontrol agents for enhanced crops production and soil fertility for sustainable agriculture.18–21