Tomato seed bio-priming with Pseudomonas aeruginosa strain PAR: a study on plant growth parameters under sodium fluoride stress

Anamika Singh; Anil Patani; Margi Patel; Suhas Vyas; Rakesh Kumar Verma; Abdelfattah Amari; Haitham Osman; Lokendra Rathod; Noureddine Elboughdiri; Virendra Kumar Yadav; Dipak Kumar Sahoo; Rajendra Singh Chundawat; Ashish Patel

doi:10.3389/fmicb.2023.1330071

Tomato seed bio-priming with Pseudomonas aeruginosa strain PAR: a study on plant growth parameters under sodium fluoride stress

Front Microbiol. 2024 Jan 4:14:1330071. doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1330071. eCollection 2023.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ School of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Mody University of Science and Technology, Sikar, India.
² Department of Biotechnology, Smt. S. S. Patel Nootan Science and Commerce College, Sankalchand Patel University, Visnagar, India.
³ Department of Life Sciences, Hemchandracharya North Gujarat University, Patan, India.
⁴ Department of Life Sciences, Bhakta Kavi Narsinh Mehta University, Junagadh, Gujarat, India.
⁵ Department of Chemical Engineering, College of Engineering, King Khalid University, Abha, Saudi Arabia.
⁶ ICMR-National Institute for Research in Environmental Health, Bhopal, India.
⁷ Chemical Engineering Department, College of Engineering, University of Ha'il, Ha'il, Saudi Arabia.
⁸ Chemical Engineering Process Department, National School of Engineers Gabes, University of Gabes, Gabes, Tunisia.
⁹ Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, United States.

Abstract

The primary goal of this experiment is to examine the effectiveness of Pseudomonas aeruginosa strain PAR as a rhizobacterium that promotes plant growth in mitigating the negative effects of fluoride-induced stress in tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) plants. A total of 16 rhizobacterial strains were tested for plant growth-promoting (PGP) attributes, with isolates S1, S2, and S3 exhibiting different characteristics. Furthermore, growth kinetics studies revealed that these isolates were resilient to fluoride stress (10, 20, 40, and 80 ppm), with isolate S2 exhibiting notable resilience compared to the other two strains. Phylogenetic analysis revealed isolate S2 as P. aeruginosa strain PAR. Physiological analyses demonstrated that P. aeruginosa strain PAR had a beneficial impact on plant properties under fluoride stress, comprising seed germination, root length, shoot height, relative water content, and leaf area, the strain also impacted the buildup of glycine betaine, soluble sugar, and proline, demonstrating its significance in enhancing plant stress tolerance. In P. aeruginosa strain PAR-treated plants, chlorophyll content increased while malondialdehyde (MDA) levels decreased, indicating enhanced photosynthetic efficiency and less oxidative stress. The strain modified antioxidant enzyme action (catalase, ascorbate, glutathione reductase, peroxidase, and superoxide dismutase), which contributed to improved stress resilience. Mineral analysis revealed a decrease in sodium and fluoride concentrations while increasing magnesium, potassium, phosphorus, and iron levels, emphasizing the strain's significance in nutrient management. Correlation and principal component analysis revealed extensive correlations between physiological and biochemical parameters, underscoring P. aeruginosa strain PAR's multifaceted impact on plant growth and stress response. This study offers valuable information on effectively utilizing PGPR, particularly P. aeruginosa strain PAR, in fluoride-contaminated soils for sustainable agriculture. It presents a promising biological strategy to enhance crop resilience and productivity.

Keywords: PGPR; Pseudomonas aeruginosa strain PAR; antioxidant enzymes; fluoride stress; tomato.

Grants and funding

The author(s) declare financial support was received for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article. This research was funded by the Deanship of Scientific Research at King Khalid University under Grant number RGP.2/34/44.