Sustainable bioformulation of Trichoderma asperellum, Pseudomonas fluorescens, and Bacillus subtilis enhances agricultural productivity in different Brazilian states
2026· Ciência e Agrotecnologia· Vol 50· 0 citations· 55 references
Abstract
ABSTRACT The use of plant growth-promoting microorganisms (PGPM) is a promising strategy to enhance crop productivity while improving soil functionality. This study evaluated the efficacy of fungal-bacterial consortium of Trichoderma asperellum, Pseudomonas fluorescens, and Bacillus subtilis, for promoting the growth of soybean and maize cultivated under distinct edaphoclimatic conditions across Brazil. Field trials were conducted in five locations within Rio Grande do Sul, Santa Catarina, São Paulo, and Minas Gerais. Treatments consisted of a fungal-bacterial consortium (200 g ha-¹, in-furrow at planting) combined with 50% or 100% of the recommended nitrogen rate. Shoot dry biomass, foliar nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) concentrations, grain yield, and soil microbial activity determined by fluorescein diacetate hydrolysis were assessed. The fungal-bacterial consortium significantly improved all variables in both crops. In soybean, shoot biomass increased by 10.7-13.4% and grain yield by 9.2-9.9%, while foliar N and P rose by 10.2-12.4%, and soil enzymatic activity increased up to 11.0%. In maize, biomass increased by 10.4-11.8% and grain yield by 13.1-13.9%, with foliar N and P increasing by 9.5-14.1% and soil enzymatic activity by up to 12.5%. Notably, positive responses were maintained under 50% nitrogen fertilization. These findings demonstrate that fungal-bacterial consortium enhances nutrient acquisition and soil microbial activity, improving crop performance under variable environmental conditions and reduced N input, supporting its potential as a biological tool for sustainable nutrient management in soybean and maize systems.
Background: Maize (Zea mays L.) is one of the world's most important cereal crops, and improving its productivity while reducing dependence on chemical fertilizers has become a major goal of sustainable agriculture. The potential role of plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) as a biofertilizer evolved as appropriate substitute to neutralize adverse environmental impacts wielded by manmade agrochemical.
Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the effects of Pseudomonas fluorescens and Bacillus subtilis, individually and in combination, on the growth and yield of maize compared with conventional NPK fertilization.
Methods: A field experiment was conducted during the 2025 growing season at the Field Crops Research Station, College of Agriculture, University of Samarra, using a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with three replicates. Six treatments were evaluated: Untreated control (T1), Pseudomonas fluorescens (T2), Bacillus subtilis (T3), combined inoculation (P. fluorescens + B. subtilis) (T4), combined inoculation with NPK fertilizer (T5), and NPK fertilizer (20:20:20) only (T6). Vegetative growth and yield-related traits were recorded and statistically analyzed.
Results: Inoculation of plants with PGPR bacteria resulted in a significant improvement in both vegetative growth and yield compared to the untreated control group. Pseudomonas fluorescens (T2) exhibited the highest vegetative growth rate, recording the highest plant height (148.00 cm), leaf area (365.00 cm²), leaf area index (2.63), and number of grains per spike (688 grains) compared control group recorded (92.33 cm), (10.67 plant⁻¹), (151.73 cm²), (0.70) respectively. Bacillus subtilis (T3), achieved the highest productivity, producing the largest number of spikes per plant (2.67 spikes) and the highest spike weight (283.50 g) compared control group recorded (2.00) and (161.60 g).
Conclusion: The use of PGPR, and especially Pseudomonas fluorescens and Bacillus subtilis as potential biofertilisation agents is a promising sustainable alternative to chemical fertilisation that can enhance maize growth and production, while decreasing dependence on mineral fertilisers.
Waser saad Khalaf, Ahmed waleed Abdulrahman· International Journal of Bio...· 0 citations
The increasing demand for sustainable and environmentally responsible agricultural practices has accelerated the search for alternatives to chemical fertilizers. Microbial biofertilizers, particularly plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR), offer a promising strategy to enhance crop productivity while maintaining soil health. Among these, Bacillus species have gained significant attention due to their ecological versatility and functional diversity. This review provides a comprehensive evaluation of the biofertilization potential of Bacillus spp. in sustainable agriculture. Prominent species such as Bacillus subtilis, B. megaterium, and B. amyloliquefaciens contribute to improved nutrient acquisition through nitrogen fixation, phosphate solubilization, and potassium mobilization. In addition, Bacillus spp. produce phytohormones, siderophores, and volatile organic compounds that stimulate plant growth and enhance tolerance to biotic and abiotic stresses. Their endospore-forming ability ensures high survival, prolonged shelf life, and reliable performance under diverse field conditions, supporting their commercial application as biofertilizers. This review also discusses interactions between Bacillus spp. and native soil microbiota, their influence on rhizosphere dynamics, and their role in improving soil fertility and crop productivity. However, inconsistent field performance, formulation challenges, and regulatory constraints remain key barriers to large-scale adoption. Recent advances in genomics, strain improvement, and formulation technologies present new opportunities to enhance the efficacy of Bacillus-based biofertilizers. Integrative approaches combining microbiology, agronomy, and policy frameworks are essential to realize their full potential in sustainable agricultural systems and global food security.
Soumendranath Chatterjee, Dibyendu Saha, Souvik Bag et al.· Discover Plants· 0 citations
Drought is one of the major abiotic stresses limiting productivity worldwide, highlighting the need for sustainable strategies to improve crop resilience under water-limited conditions. This study evaluated the effects of the plant growth-promoting bacteria Bacillus aryabhattai and Pseudomonas fluorescens, applied individually or in combination, on soybean growth under well-watered and water-deficit conditions. The experiment was conducted in a completely randomized design arranged in a 2 × 4 factorial scheme, consisting of two irrigation regimes (well-watered and water deficit) and four biological treatments (control, B. aryabhattai, P. fluorescens, and co-inoculation with both bacteria). Plant growth variables, including shoot and root length, root volume, fresh biomass, and dry biomass, were evaluated after the stress period. Under well-watered conditions, co-inoculation promoted the greatest fresh root biomass and consistently increased shoot biomass compared with the untreated control. Under water-deficit conditions, B. aryabhattai alone produced the highest fresh root biomass and root volume, demonstrating superior performance in promoting root development during drought stress. Although most variables did not differ significantly among treatments, inoculated plants consistently exhibited greater vegetative growth than non-inoculated plants. These findings demonstrate the potential of B. aryabhattai and P. fluorescens as plant growth-promoting bacteria capable of enhancing soybean development, with B. aryabhattai showing particular promise for improving plant performance under water-limited conditions.
Thiago Ghedin Cappellesso, Sérgio Miguel Mazaro, Maira Cristina Schuster Russiano et al.· REMUNOM· 0 citations
Plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) widely improve plant growth. Siderophore-producing bacteria (SPB) are a valuable PGPR type worthy of in-depth exploration. In this study, five SPB strains were selected as the research subjects. Pot experiments were conducted to evaluate their impact on maize growth in Alfisol. It was observed that the five SPB strains improved maize growth and nutrient uptake to varying degrees. Among them, CNRSB01 had the most significant effect. Compared with the control, CNRSB01 raised maize P, K, Ca, Mg, Fe, Mn, Cu and Zn content by 27.33%, 45.60%, 15.78%, 13.12%, 40.63%, 30.81%, 31.39% and 38.23%, respectively. Maize dry weight in the CNRSB01 treatment increased by 93.45%. Soil invertase activity and soil phosphatase activity in the CNRSB01 treatment increased by 39.12% and 29.04%, respectively. It also revealed that SPB modified soil bacterial diversity. Both Simpson index and Shannon index of CRSB02 and CNRSB01 treatments were significantly different from the control. PCA analysis showed that CNRSB01 treatment had the most divergent bacteria community composition. Research results suggested that SPB promote maize growth and nutrient uptake primarily by optimizing the soil microenvironment. These results provide theoretical reference for microbial application to enhance crop growth.
The degradation of Calcisols in the arid regions of Central Asia constrains sustainable agricultural production because of low organic matter content, poor aggregate stability, nutrient limitations, and increasing climatic stress. This study evaluated a rhizosphere engineering approach based on the native plant growth-promoting bacterium Pseudomonas veronii Ps-S/Sh-1503/2022 for the rehabilitation of degraded Calcisols. Four-year field experiments (2022–2025) using Sorghum bicolor assessed plant growth, rhizosphere microbial indicators, physiological responses, pathogen suppression, crop productivity, and implementation feasibility through economic and environmental assessments. Inoculation with P. veronii increased root depth by 45%, improved aboveground biomass, increased the ratio of culturable bacteria to Fusarium spp. from 6.1 to 10.3, and reduced Fusarium abundance by 29.4%. Structural equation modeling suggested that trophic support (42.1%), aggregate stabilization (27.4%), biocontrol (23.3%), and defense-related responses (7.2%) were the principal pathways associated with soil rehabilitation. Economic assessment indicated that the combined inoculation and mineral fertilization treatment provided the highest profitability, while environmental assessment estimated potential reductions in mineral fertilizer use and greenhouse gas emissions. These findings suggest that rhizosphere engineering using a native P. veronii strain represents a promising, economically viable, and climate-smart approach for improving the biological functioning of degraded Calcisols and supporting sustainable agricultural production.
Gani Kalymbetov, B. Kedelbayev, Nortoji A. Khujamshukurov et al.· Agriculture· 0 citations
Drought stress is among the most critical limitations to maize productivity, particularly under rainfed conditions. In this study, we explored the Brazilian Caatinga biome as a source of drought adapted plant growth-promoting bacteria and evaluated their potential to mitigate drought effects in maize (Zea mays L.). A total of 414 thermo-tolerant bacterial strains were isolated from soil, of which 28 Bacillus strains were able to grow under low water activity. These strains exhibited multiple plant growth-promoting traits in vitro, including exopolysaccharide production, biofilm formation, siderophore production, indole-3-acetic acid synthesis, putative nitrogen fixation, and phosphate solubilization. Twelve selected strains significantly improved root morphology, relative chlorophyll content (SPAD units), and biomass accumulation in maize seedlings under osmotic stress induced by polyethylene glycol. Notably, strain 1A11 showed the most consistent effects, promoting root growth and biomass accumulation under both stressed and non-stressed conditions, indicating constitutive growth promotion across environments, whereas other strains showed stronger responses under stress. This stability across environments strengthens its agronomic value, particularly in regions characterized by high rainfall variability. Genome sequencing of five elite strains (1A11, 5D5, 6E9, 1H10, and 2E7) identified conserved gene clusters associated with exopolysaccharide production, indole-3-acetic acid synthesis, phosphate metabolism, iron acquisition (siderophore synthesis), synthesis of volatile compounds, motility, chemotaxis, and general responses to osmotic and oxidative stress. Multi-location field trials conducted across five locations in Brazil, under rainfed conditions, indicate that strains 1A11 (Bacillus subtilis), 5D5, and 6E9 (Bacillus velezensis) consistently increased grain yield compared to the non-inoculated control and performed similarly to or better than a commercial inoculant. Mean productivity gains with the strain 1A11 reached up to 39% relative to the non-inoculated treatment across environments. These results indicate that Bacillus strains isolated from semi-arid soils were able to convert multifunctional potential into measurable agronomic gains under field conditions, demonstrating their potential as bioinoculants to enhance maize resilience under water-limited agricultural systems.
U. G. Lana, S. M. de Sousa, Bárbara Temponi Vilarino Godinho et al.· Frontiers in Plant Science· 0 citations