Bacillus as PGPR in Crop Ecosystem

Abstract

Endophytes, by definition, live in close association with living plant tissues. Their frequent occurrence in agricultural crops and subsequent relevance to crop production systems is only just beginning to be appreciated more widely. Endophytic bacteria have been shown to promote growth in economically important crops. Several strains are capable of inducing both biotic and abiotic stress resistance in inoculated plants. Endophyte communities have also been shown to ameliorate disease development, and in some instances, plant–endophyte relationships have been found to be tissue-type and tissue-site specific. However, certain bacterial genera have already been shown to have more promise than others. Studies focusing on finding plant growth promoting (PGP) bacteria have frequently found success with the few bacterial genera. Manipulating bacterial populations in soils and within crops will be crucial if endophytes are to be utilized in crop production systems, and special techniques will be required to do so. This review surveys the natural associations between bacterial endophytes and their hosts, and discusses how they can be employed in enhancing productivity in sustainable systems of agricultural crop production.