Bioprospecting of elite plant growth-promoting bacteria for the maize crop

Abstract

The use of plant growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB), which aims to replace chemical fertilizers and biological control, is a goal for achieving agriculture sustainability. In this scenario, our goal was to identify and evaluate the potential of bacteria isolated from maize roots to promote plant growth and be used as inoculants. We evaluated 173 bacterial strains isolated from the maize (Zea mays L.) rhizosphere for the properties of their PGPB in vitro. Twelve strains were positive for siderophores, indole acetic acid (IAA) production, biological nitrogen fixation (BNF), and phosphate solubilization. Sequence analysis of 16S rRNA identified these strains as belonging to the genera Cellulosimicrobium, Stenotrophomonas, Enterobacter, and Bacillus. The elite strains were evaluated under greenhouse conditions upon the inoculation of two maize hybrids, ATL100 and KWX628. The ability of the isolates to promote plant growth was dependent on the maize genotype; Enterobacter sp. LGMB208 showed the best ability to promote growth of hybrid ATL100, while Enterobacter sp. strains LGMB125, LGMB225, and LGMB274 and Cellulosimicrobium sp. strain LGMB239 showed the best ability to promote growth of hybrid KWX628. The results highlight the potential of bacterial genera little explored as maize PGPB but indicate the need to investigate their interactions with different plant genotypes.