Plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR): emergence in agriculture
Description
Plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) aretherhizospherebacteriathatcanenhanceplantgrowthbya wide variety of mechanisms like phosphate solubilization, siderophore production, biological nitrogen fixation, rhizo sphere engineering, production of 1-Aminocyclopropane-1 carboxylate deaminase (ACC), quorum sensing (QS) signal interference and inhibition of biofilm formation, phytohor moneproduction,exhibitingantifungalactivity,productionof volatile organic compounds (VOCs), induction of systemic resistance, promoting beneficial plant-microbe symbioses, interference with pathogen toxin production etc. The poten tiality of PGPR in agriculture is steadily increased as it offers an attractive way to replace the use of chemical fertilizers, pesticides and other supplements. Growth promoting sub stances are likely to be produced in large quantities by these rhizosphere microorganisms that influence indirectly on the overall morphology of the plants. Recent progress in our understanding on the diversity of PGPR in the rhizosphere along with their colonization ability and mechanism of action should facilitate their application as a reliable component in the management of sustainable agricultural system. The pro gress to date in using the rhizosphere bacteria in a variety of applications related to agricultural improvement along with their mechanism of action with special reference to plant growth-promotingtraits are summarizedand discussed inthis review.