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A Combined Use of Rhizobacteria and Moringa Leaf Extract Mitigates the Adverse Effects of Drought Stress in Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)

Lalarukh I 1 , Al-Dhumri SA 2 , Al-Ani LKT 3 , Hussain R 4 , Al Mutairi KA 5 , Mansoora N 6 Show all authors , Amjad SF 6 , Abbas MHH 7 , Abdelhafez AA 8 , Poczai P 9 , Meena KR 10 , Galal TM 11

Affiliations 

  • 1 Department of Botany, Government College Women University, Faisalabad, Pakistan
  • 2 Department of Biology, Al Khumra University College, Taif University, Taif, Saudi Arabia
  • 3 Department of Plant Protection, College of Agriculture Engineering Science, University of Baghdad, Baghdad, Iraq
  • 4 Department of Horticultural Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture and Environment, The Islamia University of Bahawalpur, Bahawalpur, Pakistan
  • 5 Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Tabuk, Tabuk, Saudi Arabia
  • 6 Department of Botany, University of Agriculture Faisalabad, Faisalabad, Pakistan
  • 7 Department of Soils and Water, Faculty of Agriculture, Benha University, Benha, Egypt
  • 8 Department of Soils and Water, Faculty of Agriculture, New Valley University, Kharga, Egypt
  • 9 Botany Unit, Finnish Museum of Natural History, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
  • 10 Department of Microbiology, College of Basic Sciences and Humanities, Dr. Rajendra Prasad Central Agricultural University, Pusa, India
  • 11 Department of Botany and Microbiology, Faculty of Science, Helwan University, Cairo, Egypt
Front Microbiol, 2022;13:813415.
PMID: 35801109 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.813415

Abstract

Less nutrient availability and drought stress are some serious concerns of agriculture. Both biotic and abiotic stress factors have the potential to limit crop productivity. However, several organic extracts obtained from moringa leaves may induce immunity in plants under nutritional and drought stress for increasing their survival. Additionally, some rhizobacterial strains have the ability to enhance root growth for better nutrient and water uptake in stress conditions. To cover the knowledge gap on the interactive effects of beneficial rhizobacteria and moringa leaf extracts (MLEs), this study was conducted. The aim of this experimental study was to investigate the effectiveness of sole and combined use of rhizobacteria and MLEs against nutritional and drought stress in wheat. Nitrogen-fixing bacteria Pseudomonas aeruginosa (Pa) (108 CFU ml-1) was inoculated to wheat plants with and without foliar-applied MLEs at two different concentrations (MLE 1 = 1:15 v/v and MLE 2 = 1:30 v/v) twice at 25 and 35 days after seed sowing (50 ml per plant) after the establishment of drought stress. Results revealed that Pa + MLE 2 significantly increased fresh weight (FW), dry weight (DW), lengths of roots and shoot and photosynthetic contents of wheat. A significant enhancement in total soluble sugars, total soluble proteins, calcium, potassium, phosphate, and nitrate contents validated the efficacious effect of Pa + MLE 2 over control-treated plants. Significant decrease in sodium, proline, glycine betaine, electrolyte leakage, malondialdehyde, hydrogen peroxide, superoxide dismutase (SOD), and peroxide (POD) concentrations in wheat cultivated under drought stress conditions also represents the imperative role of Pa + MLE 2 over control. In conclusion, Pa + MLE 2 can alleviate nutritional stress and drought effects in wheat. More research in this field is required to proclaim Pa + MLE 2 as the most effective amendment against drought stress in distinct agroecological zones, different soil types, and contrasting wheat cultivars worldwide.

* Title and MeSH Headings from MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.

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