Role of plant growth promoting rhizobacteria in sustainable production of vegetables: Current perspective

In order to optimize the crop production and hence, to achieve food security, synthetic fertilizers have largely been used in high input agronomic practices to offset major and sometimes minor nutrient deficiencies of soils with concomitant intensification in food production. When used repeatedly in horticultural practices, such environmentally un-friendly fertilizers have deleteriously impacted soil fertility and consequently, the crop productivity. Taking these threats into account, scientists are desperate to find inexpensive, environmentally benign and easy to operate options to overcome fertilizer toxicity problems. In this regard, plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) have magnetize the agrarian communities due in part to their low cost, easy access and simple mode of application. Broadly, PGPR when used either alone or in consortia, have resulted in tremendous positive impact on horticultural production. Among horticultural crops, the interest in quality of vegetables in recent times among consumers has increased worldwide. The results of studies conducted so far worldwide on the impact of PGPR carrying numerous multi-functional plant growth promoting activities on horticultural crops especially vegetables grown distinctively in different production systems is discussed and considered. The review will conclude by identifying several PGPR for future researches aiming to improve the health and quality of vegetables grown in different production systems. Also, the findings presented here are likely to reduce the use of chemical fertilizers in horticultural practices and to protect human health (via food chain) from the ill effect of fertilizers used in different agronomic environment. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.