Effect of Burkholderia sp. and Pseudomonas spp. inoculation on growth, yield, and absorption of inorganic components in tomato ‘Micro-Tom’ under salinity conditions

Abstract

We screened four strains (Burkholderia sp. St-A, and Pseudomonas spp. St-B, St-C, and St-D) from 21 bacterial isolates isolated tomato cultivation fields based on their plant growth-promoting traits. Then, tomato (‘Micro-Tom’) seedlings inoculated with each of the four selected strains were grown under non-salinity and salinity (NaCl) treatment conditions. Under non-salinity conditions, St-C and St-D strains increased the total biomass of roots, stems, and leaves and fruit yield. Under NaCl treatment conditions, St-B, St-C, and St-D strains increased total biomass and fruit yield. In roots, Na content was not suppressed, but K, P, and water content were increased by bacterial inoculations. Correlation analysis showed a significant and positive relationship between fruit yield and root under both non-salinity and salinity conditions. This indicates that the maintenance of homeostasis and water relations in roots may contribute to the improvement of plant growth, including root and fruit yield, under salinity conditions.