Expression of Zinc Transporter Genes in Rice as Influenced by Zinc-Solubilizing Enterobacter cloacae Strain ZSB14.

Zinc (Zn) deficiency in major food crops has been considered as an important factor affecting the crop production and subsequently the human health. Rice (Oryza sativa) is sensitive to Zn deficiency and thereby causes malnutrition to most of the rice-eating Asian populations. Application of zinc solubilizing bacteria (ZSB) could be a sustainable agronomic approach to increase the soil available Zn which can mitigate the yield loss and consequently the nutritional quality of rice.