A Look at Plant-Growth-Promoting Bacteria

Abstract

Bacteria have been used to increase crop yields. For their application on crops, bacteria are provided in inoculant formulations that are continuously changing, with liquid- and solid-based products. Bacteria for inoculants are mainly selected from natural isolates. In nature, microorganisms that favor plants exhibit various strategies to succeed and prevail in the rhizosphere, such as biological nitrogen fixation, phosphorus solubilization, and siderophore production. On the other hand, plants have strategies to maintain beneficial microorganisms, such as the exudation of chemoattractanst for specific microorganisms and signaling pathways that regulate plant–bacteria interactions. Transcriptomic approaches are helpful in attempting to elucidate plant–microorganism interactions. Here, we present a review of these issues.

Keywords

• microorganisms
• biofertilizer
• agriculture