Biotechnological Test of Plant Growth-Promoting Bacteria Strains for Synthesis of Valorized Wastewater as Biofertilizer for Silvicultural Production of Holm Oak (Quercus ilex L.)

Abstract

The degradation of Mediterranean forest ecosystems, such as holm oak forests, has intensified in recent decades due to climate change, forest fires, and deforestation, compromising the natural regeneration of the soil. In this context, it is essential to apply sustainable strategies to restore soil and promote plant growth, thus helping the regeneration of the ecosystem. One of these strategies is the use of plant growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB) in combination with recovered organic waste, such as that from wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). In this paper, the effects of a biofertilizer formulated from WWTP residue (with and without sterilization), supplemented with two PGPB strains (Bacillus pretiosus and Pseudomonas agronomica), on the growth of holm oak seedlings (Quercus ilex) were evaluated under field conditions. A study was carried out on its nutritional composition, the rhizospheric cenoantibiogram, and its functional and taxonomic microbial diversity. Nine combinations of chemical and biological treatments using irrigation with water as a control were compared. The results showed that treatments with WWTP, especially combined with PGPB strains, promoted greater plant development and a lower seedling mortality rate. The cenoantibiogram exhibited a reduction in the resistance profile in soils treated with biofertilizer, without affecting soil microbial diversity, which remained unaltered across treatments, as confirmed by metagenomic and functional diversity analyses. Overall, this research reinforces the viability of the use of biofertilizers recovered from WWTP as an ecological and effective strategy for the recovery of degraded holm oak forests.