article · Agronomy
Desert plants in arid environments rely on bacterial endophytes to endure harsh environmental conditions. Researchers isolated thirteen endophytic bacterial strains from the leaves of two native medicinal plants, Fagonia mollis and Achillea fragrantissima, found in South Sinai, Egypt. The strains were characterised using molecular, biochemical, and greenhouse methods to evaluate their plant growth promoting attributes. In laboratory tests, the isolates demonstrated phosphate solubilisation capabilities and produced indole acetic acid at increasing levels when supplemented with tryptophan. Strains belonging to the genera Bacillus and Brevibacillus were frequently identified and were subsequently tested on maize plants in greenhouse trials. Application of these selected bacterial strains led to significant improvements in maize growth as well as increased phosphorus and nitrogen content in plant shoots. These findings suggest that endophytic bacteria from desert flora can serve as effective bioinoculants to support crop development.
Intensive agriculture often relies heavily on synthetic fertilisers, which can degrade soil and harm ecosystems over time. Identifying beneficial bacteria from hardy desert plants offers an alternative biological approach to crop nutrition. By enhancing nutrient uptake such as nitrogen and phosphorus, these natural endophytes could support sustainable farming and improve crop resilience in arid and semi-arid regions.
This research could enable the development of microbial biofertilisers for commercial growers seeking to reduce chemical inputs. The findings represent applied research tested under controlled greenhouse conditions on maize. Translating these results into viable commercial products would require field trials, shelf-life and formulation testing, and regulatory clearance before reaching agricultural input suppliers and farmers.
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Desert plants are able to survive under harsh environmental stresses inherent to arid and semiarid regions due to their association with bacterial endophytes. However, the identity, functions, and the factors that influence the association of bacterial endophytes with desert plants are poorly known. These bacterial endophytes can be used as an untapped resource to favor plant growth and development in agro-ecosystems of arid regions. The present study is therefore focused on the isolation and identification of bacterial endophytes from two native medicinal plants (Fagonia mollis Delile and Achillea fragrantissima (Forssk) Sch. Bip.) growing spontaneously in the arid region of the South Sinai (Egypt), and characterization of their plant growth promoting (PGP) traits. Thirteen putative bacterial endophytes were isolated from the leaves of both plant species and characterized for their plant growth promoting abilities using molecular and biochemical approaches, as well as greenhouse trials. Selected endophytic bacterial strains were applied to maize plants (Zea mays L. var. Single cross Pioneer 30K08) to further evaluate their PGP abilities under greenhouse conditions. Isolated bacterial strains have variable plant growth promoting activities. Among these activities, isolated bacterial endophytes have the efficacy of phosphate solubilizing with clear zones ranging from 7.6 ± 0.3 to 9.6 ± 0.3 mm. Additionally, the obtained bacterial endophytes increased the productivity of indole acetic acid (IAA) in broth media from 10 to 60 µg·mL−1 with increasing tryptophan concentration from 1 to 5 mg·mL−1. Bacillus and Brevibacillus strains were frequently isolated from the leaves of both plant species, and had significant positive effects on plant growth and shoot phosphorus (P) and nitrogen (N) contents. Results suggest that these endophytes are good candidates as plant growth promoting inoculants to help reduce chemical input in conventional agricultural practices and increase nutrient uptake and stress resilience in plant species.
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DOI: 10.3390/agronomy10091325
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