A Framework for the Selection of Plant Growth-Promoting Rhizobacteria Based on Bacterial Competence Mechanisms.

The use of plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) is increasingly meaningful for the development of more environmentally friendly agricultural practices. However, often the PGPR strains selected in the laboratory fail to confer the expected beneficial effects when evaluated in plant experiments. Insufficient rhizosphere colonization is pointed out as one of the causes.