Exploring the supremacy of Bacillus species among sunflower endophytes as a promising bio stimulating tool

Abstract

Compromising food production due to the adverse effects of frequently utilized agrochemicals is one of the alarming issues of the world to be resolved quickly. However, the employment of plant bacterial endophytes as bio stimulants is a valuable strategy for the improvement of crop health and ultimately for large-scale ecological farming with the perspective of strengthening the world’s food security. The occurrence of endophytic bacteria in close vicinity of plants may reflect their crucial role in the growth enrichment of beneficially associated crops. This study aimed to establish the phylogeny of native bacterial species of sunflowers isolated from the endosphere and to assess their potential to promote plant growth by phenotypic approaches. For this purpose, ten bacterial isolates were scrutinized for their growth promotion ability on manual reinoculation into the native plant of sunflower. Three different genera (Bacillus, Priestia, Paenibacillus) sharing the phylum of Firmicute with the supremacy of Bacillus species were identified by 16SrRNA phylogeny. In Vitro study has revealed their varying PGP abilities, with the foremost of auxin (46-104 µg/ml) and of siderophore (15-50 µg/ml) productions. Results of In Planta experiments, publicized the dominancy of bacillus inhabitants as promising bio stimulants for plant growth, reducing the chemical implementation in agricultural practices.