Developing eco-friendly endophytic bioinoculants for enhancing productivity and soil fertility in wheat

The main aim of this study was to explore the potential role of wheat endophytic bacteria on wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) production and soil health management under pot and field trials. Seven plant growth-promoting putative endophytes were isolated from different wheat plant parts (root, shoot, leaf, and seed). We selected two effective bacterial strains, Pseudomonas sp. BHUJPV-WRO5 (from the "Pseudomonas koreensis" subgroup) originating from the root and Staphylococcus sp. BHUJPV-WLE7 isolated from leaf, based on plant growth-promoting traits like indole-3-acetic acid, ammonia, siderophore production, and phosphate solubilization. We conducted pot and field experiments with treatments T1 (uninoculated), T2 (Pseudomonas sp.), and T3 (Staphylococcus sp.). In pots, grain yield was higher with Pseudomonas sp. or S. xylosus than in the control. Similarly, grain yield in the field was increased with Pseudomonas sp. BHUJPV-WRO5 or Staphylococcus sp. BHUJPV-WLE7 compared with control. Pseudomonas sp. BHUJPV-WRO5 also resulted in higher soil electrical conductivity (both pot and field), total organic carbon (in field), soil contents in available N, P, and K (in pot and field), and potential activity in soil of alkaline phosphatase (pot and field), dehydrogenase and beta-glucosidase (in pot). The effects of Staphylococcus sp. BHUJPV-WLE7 were smaller, with however, higher soil levels for electrical conductivity (in pot), total organic carbon (in field), available P (in pot and field), and higher potential activity of alkaline phosphatase (in pot) than control. Overall, the putative wheat endophytes effectively enhanced plant growth, crop productivity, and soil quality, and Pseudomonas stain is promising as a bio-inoculant for sustainable wheat production.