Drought-tolerant plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria alleviate drought stress and enhance soil health for sustainable agriculture: A comprehensive review
Mohamed T. El-Saadony,
Ahmed M. Saad,
Dina Mostafa Mohammed,
Mohamed A. Fahmy,
Ibrahim Eid Elesawi,
Ahmed Ezzat Ahmed,
Uthman Balgith Algopishi,
Ahmed S. Elrys,
El-Sayed M. Desoky,
Walid F.A. Mosa,
Taia A. Abd El-Mageed,
Fardous I. Alhashmi,
Betty T. Mathew,
Synan F. AbuQamar,
Khaled A. El-Tarabily
Affiliations
Mohamed T. El-Saadony
Department of Agricultural Microbiology, Faculty of Agriculture, Zagazig University, Zagazig, 44511, Egypt
Ahmed M. Saad
Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Agriculture, Zagazig University, Zagazig, 44511, Egypt
Dina Mostafa Mohammed
Nutrition and Food Sciences Department, National Research Centre, Dokki, Giza, 12622, Egypt
Mohamed A. Fahmy
Department of Agricultural Microbiology, Faculty of Agriculture, Zagazig University, Zagazig, 44511, Egypt
Ibrahim Eid Elesawi
Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Agriculture, Zagazig University, Zagazig, 44511, Egypt
Ahmed Ezzat Ahmed
Department of Biology, College of Science, King Khalid University, Abha, 61413, Saudi Arabia
Uthman Balgith Algopishi
Department of Biology, College of Science, King Khalid University, Abha, 61413, Saudi Arabia
Ahmed S. Elrys
Department of Soil Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Zagazig University, Zagazig, 44511, Egypt
El-Sayed M. Desoky
Botany Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Zagazig University, Zagazig, 44511, Egypt
Walid F.A. Mosa
Plant Production Department (Horticulture-Pomology), Faculty of Agriculture Saba Basha, Alexandria University, Alexandria, 21526, Egypt
Taia A. Abd El-Mageed
Department of Soil and Water, Faculty of Agriculture, Fayoum University, Fayoum, 63514, Egypt
Fardous I. Alhashmi
Department of Biology, College of Science, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain, 15551, United Arab Emirates
Betty T. Mathew
Department of Biology, College of Science, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain, 15551, United Arab Emirates
Synan F. AbuQamar
Department of Biology, College of Science, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain, 15551, United Arab Emirates; Corresponding authors.
Khaled A. El-Tarabily
Department of Biology, College of Science, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain, 15551, United Arab Emirates; Corresponding authors.
Climate change has exacerbated the impact of abiotic stresses, mainly drought, on plant production. Plant selection, breeding, and genetic engineering to increase drought tolerance are costly and time-consuming. To mitigate drought stress, plants employ adaptive mechanisms and interact with beneficial microorganisms, such as plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR). Inoculating plant roots with various PGPR species promotes drought tolerance through a network of cellular, physiological, and biochemical mechanisms, including enhanced root elongation, increased phytohormone production, and synthesis of volatile organic compounds. PGPR colonization represents an environmentally sustainable agricultural technique that enhances plant growth, development, and yield by facilitating improved tolerance to environmental challenges. The current review provides an overview of the impact of drought stress on plant growth and development, detailing how PGPR induce physiological, morphological, and molecular responses to mitigate drought stress.
