Enhancing drought tolerance in and through interspecific interactions with a mixed inoculum of and non-host beneficial rhizobacteria.

Introduction: Harnessing plant growth-promoting rhizobia presents a sustainable and cost-effective method to enhance crop performance, particularly under drought stress. This study evaluates the variability of plant growth-promoting (PGP) traits among three strains of LMR575, LMR571, and LMR655, and two native PGP strains LMR698 and LMR696. The primary objective was to assess the host range specificity of these strains and their effectiveness in improving drought tolerance in three legume species: , , and .

Methods: experiments were conducted to assess the PGP traits of the selected strains, including phosphate solubilization, indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) production, and siderophore production. Greenhouse trials were also performed using a mixed inoculum of performing strains to evaluate their effects on plant physiological and biochemical traits under drought conditions.

Results: Significant variability in PGP traits was observed among the strains. LMR655 exhibited the highest phosphate solubilization (113.85 mg mL PO ), while LMR571 produced the highest IAA concentration (25.37 mg mL). LMR696 demonstrated 82% siderophore production. Symbiotic interactions varied, with LMR571 and LMR655 forming associations with and , but none establishing compatibility with . Greenhouse experiments showed that a mixed inoculum of LMR571, LMR655, and LMR696 significantly improved proline, total soluble sugars, proteins, and chlorophyll content under drought stress, with showing the strongest response.

Discussion: These findings highlight the importance of strain selection based on host specificity and PGP potential. The enhanced drought tolerance observed suggests that tailored microbial inoculants can improve legume resilience in water-limited environments. This study provides valuable insights for optimizing bioinoculant formulations to enhance crop performance under drought stress.