Plant Growth Enhancement using Rhizospheric Halotolerant Phosphate Solubilizing Bacterium and Isolated from Willd.

Plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria represent a promising solution to enhancing agricultural productivity. Here, we screened phosphate solubilizing bacteria from the rhizospheric soil of and assessed their plant-growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) properties including production of indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), siderophores, hydrogen cyanide (HCN), ammonia and extracellular enzymes. We also investigated their tolerance to salt stress and their capacity to form biofilms. Two isolated strains, named QA1 and QF11, solubilized phosphate up to 346 mg/L, produced IAA up to 795.31 µg/mL, and tolerated up to 2 M NaCl in vitro. 16S rRNA and Cpn60 gene sequencing revealed that QA1 and QF11 belong to the genus and , respectively. In vivo, early plant growth potential showed that quinoa seeds inoculated either with QA1 or QF11 displayed higher germination rates and increased seedling growth. Under saline irrigation conditions, QA1 enhanced plant development/growth. Inoculation with QA1 increased leaf chlorophyll content index, enhanced P and K uptake and decreased plant Na uptake. Likewise, plants inoculated with QF11 strain accumulated more K and had reduced Na content. Collectively, our findings support the use of QA1 and QF11 as potential biofertilizers.