Identification of plant beneficial Bacillus spp. for Resilient agricultural ecosystem

The use of synthetic pesticides and chemicals to continuously increase agricultural productivity is causing severe damage to our ecosystem. Therefore, there is need to enhance our understanding about the factors which can contribute to soil processes and play key role in developing sustainable agricultural ecosystem. In this context, the bacteria from cauliflower rhizosphere were isolated and characterized for different plants beneficial attributes. The relationship of soil bacteria and its elemental composition was examined using canonical correspondence analysis. The elemental composition analysis of soil samples revealed presence of Mg, Al, Si, P, K, Ca, Fe and their oxides. In addition, the isolates were found positive for phosphorus solubilization, siderophore, chitinase and protease activity, and indole acetic acid type of growth regulator. The direct confrontation assay revealed antagonistic behavior of these isolates against Fusarium oxysporum and Sclerotinia sclerotiorum. The promising isolates were identified and affiliated to closely related species of genus Bacillus in phylogenetic relationship. The canonical correspondence analysis revealed distribution of elements and their relationship with the identified species in particular area. The characteristics of these isolates revealed their potential in alleviating the biotic and abiotic stresses and hence enhancing crops yield without the usage of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides. The present study is first of its kind and will open new avenues to explore microbial community structure across different farmlands soils to develop resilience agricultural ecosystem.

Automated summary

The study highlights the need to reduce the use of synthetic pesticides and chemical fertilizers in agriculture in order to mitigate damage to the ecosystem. By isolating and characterizing bacteria from cauliflower rhizosphere, the research identified beneficial traits for plants as well as their antagonistic behavior against harmful fungi. This research opens up new avenues for exploring microbial community structures in farmland soils to develop more resilient agricultural ecosystems.