Consortium of Plant-Growth-Promoting Bacteria: Future Perspective in
Agriculture
Piyush Pandey,
Sandeep Bisht,
Anchal Sood,
Abhinav Aeron,
G. D. Sharma,
D. K. MaheshwariBuy chapter
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Abstract
The term “plant-growth-promoting rhizobacteria” (PGPR) include soil bacteria that colonize the roots of plants following inoculation onto seed and enhance plant growth. The bacteria useful to plants were proposed to be characterized in two general types: bacteria forming a symbiotic relationship with the plant and another the free-living ones found in the soil but are often found near, on, or even within the plant tissues. The PGPR are known to enhance growth by several direct mechanisms—like biofertilizers fix nitrogen, phytostimulators directly promote the growth of plants by the production of hormones, and several other metabolites like siderophore, ACC deaminase, etc., are produced by PGPR strains for plant growth enhancement. Also, biocontrol agents that are able to protect plants from soilborne infection by deleterious microorganisms also offer environment-friendly strategy for pest control.
Recently, application of two or more PGPR as consortium is taking gain in field application worldwide. This offers multifarious approach of promoting plant growth and improve yield. In this review, the various strategies for consortium formulation are described. In fact, use of rhizobia with free-living nitrogen fixers or with phosphate solubilizers including VAM fungi has been widely reported. Also, application of biocontrol agents along with direct growth promoters is also observed as holistic approach for sustainable agriculture. Further, tailor-made consortium is sometimes designed to include other benefits like improving soil health.
