Balti Sabrine, Mabrouk Yassine, Souihi Mouna, Hemissi Imen, Amri Ismail, Humm Ethan, Khan Noor, Hirsch Ann M
Laboratory of Biotechnology and Nuclear Technology (LR16CNSTN01), National Centre for Nuclear Sciences and Technologies (CNSTN), Sidi Thabet Technopark, 2020, Tunisia.
Faculty of Sciences of Bizerte, Carthage University, 7021 Jarzouna, Tunisia.
AIMS Microbiol. 2025 Apr 14;11(2):318-337. doi: 10.3934/microbiol.2025015. eCollection 2025.
Chickpea ( L.) is considered a cheap source of plant protein. In Mediterranean regions, and particularly in Tunisia, fungal attacks are likely to further aggravate drought stress and increase the economic vulnerability of chickpea production. Plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) and rhizobia have the potential to enhance plant growth and mitigate the adverse effects of biotic and abiotic stresses. The objective of this study was to isolate non-rhizobial rhizosphere bacteria from the soil and evaluate their ability to enhance plants' growth and symbiotic performance and to control chickpea wilt caused by . A total of 26 bacterial isolates from rhizosphere soil samples were subsequently evaluated for their antagonistic properties against five phytopathogenic fungi (, , 184, and ). Seven bacterial isolates demonstrated plant-beneficial characteristics and/or antagonistic activity against 5 strains. Two bacterial strains including subsp. and were chosen for additional investigation because they showed the greatest number of plant growth-promoting (PGP) traits and exhibited an antagonistic effect on pathogens. Assays conducted in pots showed that PGPRs co-inoculated with sp. Bj1 protected chickpea plants from infection and enhanced plant growth and nutrient uptake. Pot experiments carried out in a greenhouse further demonstrated that the co-inoculation of chickpea plants with the bacterial strains and a strain lessened the severity of the infection. These results suggest that co-inoculation with subsp. and sp. Bj1 may act as a helpful bioformulation to boost chickpea plants' growth and protect them from wilting. Other PGPR candidates included spp. and strains. Both sp. Bj1 and the uninoculated plants were used as controls. The association of PGPR with other inoculants potentially could substitute for chemical fertilizers, and testing of PGPR under field conditions will further elucidate their effectiveness on grain yields of chickpea.
鹰嘴豆（L.）被认为是一种廉价的植物蛋白来源。在地中海地区，特别是在突尼斯，真菌侵袭可能会进一步加剧干旱胁迫，并增加鹰嘴豆生产的经济脆弱性。植物促生根际细菌（PGPR）和根瘤菌有潜力促进植物生长，并减轻生物和非生物胁迫的不利影响。本研究的目的是从土壤中分离非根瘤菌根际细菌，并评估它们促进植物生长、共生性能以及控制由[病原体名称缺失]引起的鹰嘴豆枯萎病的能力。随后对从根际土壤样品中分离出的26株细菌进行了评估，以检测它们对五种植物病原真菌（[真菌名称缺失]、[真菌名称缺失]、184、[真菌名称缺失]和[真菌名称缺失]）的拮抗特性。七株细菌表现出对植物有益的特性和/或对5种[病原体名称缺失]菌株的拮抗活性。选择了两株细菌菌株，包括[细菌名称缺失]亚种和[细菌名称缺失]，进行进一步研究，因为它们表现出最多的植物促生长（PGP）特性，并对病原体表现出拮抗作用。在花盆中进行的试验表明，与[根瘤菌名称缺失]Bj1共同接种的PGPR可保护鹰嘴豆植株免受[病原体名称缺失]感染，并促进植物生长和养分吸收。在温室中进行的盆栽试验进一步证明，鹰嘴豆植株与这些细菌菌株和一株[根瘤菌名称缺失]菌株共同接种可减轻[病原体名称缺失]感染的严重程度。这些结果表明，与[细菌名称缺失]亚种和[根瘤菌名称缺失]Bj1共同接种可能是一种有益的生物制剂，可促进鹰嘴豆植株生长并保护它们免受枯萎病侵害。其他PGPR候选菌株包括[细菌名称缺失]属菌株和[细菌名称缺失]菌株。[根瘤菌名称缺失]Bj1菌株和未接种的植株均用作对照。PGPR与其他接种剂的组合可能会替代化肥，在田间条件下对PGPR进行测试将进一步阐明它们对鹰嘴豆籽粒产量的有效性。
