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      Bacterial Inoculants Mitigating Water Scarcity in Tomato: The Importance of Long-Term in vivo Experiments

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          Abstract

          Global population growth and climate change raise a challenge to agriculture, which, combined with the issues concerning the use of chemical fertilizers, have generated increasing attention in the use of plant-associated bacteria as a sustainable strategy in agri-food systems. The objective of this study is to evaluate the ability of five bacterial strains, previously isolated from the rhizosphere or endosphere of plants adapted to harsh environmental conditions, to act as potential plant biofertilizers in different conditions of water availability. The strain biosafety for a deliberate environmental release was investigated through a literature survey and antibiotic resistance testing. The selected strains were first characterized for their plant growth–promoting (PGP) and rhizocompetence-related traits through in vitro assays and then on short-term in vivo experiments on tomato plants. A long-term greenhouse experiment was further conducted to monitor the PGP effect of the bacteria during the entire life cycle of tomato plants subjected to full irrigation or to severe water deficit conditions, aiming to assess their actual effect on plant productivity, which is the ultimate target of the agricultural sector. Some of the strains showed a potential in improving water use efficiency and mitigating plant water stress. Under severe irrigation deficit, four of the tested strains, Micrococcus yunnanensis M1, Bacillus simplex RP-26, Pseudomonas stutzeri SR7-77, and Paenarthrobacter nitroguajacolicus 2–50, significantly increased the number of productive plants in comparison to non-bacterized control ones. Two of them, Bacillus simplex RP-26 and Paenarthrobacter nitroguajacolicus 2–50, demonstrated also, under full irrigation, to significantly improve the water productivity in comparison with non-bacterized plants. Despite all the strains showed promising PGP potential in short-term assays, the positive effect of the bacterial inoculants on plant physiology and fruit yield was observed in some cases but never corroborated by statistical significance. These results highlight the importance of performing long-term in vivo experiments to define the real PGP ability of a bacterial inoculant to positively impact plant production.

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          Quantification of biofilm in microtiter plates: overview of testing conditions and practical recommendations for assessment of biofilm production by staphylococci.

          The details of all steps involved in the quantification of biofilm formation in microtiter plates are described. The presented protocol incorporates information on assessment of biofilm production by staphylococci, gained both by direct experience as well as by analysis of methods for assaying biofilm production. The obtained results should simplify quantification of biofilm formation in microtiter plates, and make it more reliable and comparable among different laboratories.
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            Plant-microbe interactions promoting plant growth and health: perspectives for controlled use of microorganisms in agriculture.

            Plant-associated microorganisms fulfill important functions for plant growth and health. Direct plant growth promotion by microbes is based on improved nutrient acquisition and hormonal stimulation. Diverse mechanisms are involved in the suppression of plant pathogens, which is often indirectly connected with plant growth. Whereas members of the bacterial genera Azospirillum and Rhizobium are well-studied examples for plant growth promotion, Bacillus, Pseudomonas, Serratia, Stenotrophomonas, and Streptomyces and the fungal genera Ampelomyces, Coniothyrium, and Trichoderma are model organisms to demonstrate influence on plant health. Based on these beneficial plant-microbe interactions, it is possible to develop microbial inoculants for use in agricultural biotechnology. Dependent on their mode of action and effects, these products can be used as biofertilizers, plant strengtheners, phytostimulators, and biopesticides. There is a strong growing market for microbial inoculants worldwide with an annual growth rate of approximately 10%. The use of genomic technologies leads to products with more predictable and consistent effects. The future success of the biological control industry will benefit from interdisciplinary research, e.g., on mass production, formulation, interactions, and signaling with the environment, as well as on innovative business management, product marketing, and education. Altogether, the use of microorganisms and the exploitation of beneficial plant-microbe interactions offer promising and environmentally friendly strategies for conventional and organic agriculture worldwide.
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              A review on the plant microbiome: Ecology, functions, and emerging trends in microbial application

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                Author and article information

                Contributors
                Journal
                Front Microbiol
                Front Microbiol
                Front. Microbiol.
                Frontiers in Microbiology
                Frontiers Media S.A.
                1664-302X
                15 June 2021
                2021
                : 12
                : 675552
                Affiliations
                [1] 1Department of Food, Environmental, and Nutritional Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano , Milan, Italy
                [2] 2Department of Land and Water Division, Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Bari, IAMB , Bari, Italy
                [3] 3Department of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences – Production, Landscape, Agroenergy, Università degli Studi di Milano , Milan, Italy
                Author notes

                Edited by: Alice Checcucci, University of Bologna, Italy

                Reviewed by: Elisa Gamalero, University of Eastern Piedmont, Italy; Francesco Spinelli, University of Bologna, Italy; André Luiz Martinez De Oliveira, State University of Londrina, Brazil

                *Correspondence: Sara Borin, sara.borin@ 123456unimi.it

                Present address: Mustafa Elfahl, Department of Water Relations and Field Irrigation, Division of Agricultural and Biological, National Research Centre, Giza, Egypt

                This article was submitted to Microbe and Virus Interactions with Plants, a section of the journal Frontiers in Microbiology

                Article
                10.3389/fmicb.2021.675552
                8239394
                34211447
                8876d94d-e7cc-4db9-8679-dd6222e87ece
                Copyright © 2021 Riva, Mapelli, Dragonetti, Elfahl, Vergani, Crepaldi, La Maddalena and Borin.

                This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

                History
                : 04 March 2021
                : 30 April 2021
                Page count
                Figures: 3, Tables: 3, Equations: 0, References: 49, Pages: 12, Words: 0
                Funding
                Funded by: Horizon 2020 10.13039/501100007601
                Categories
                Microbiology
                Original Research

                Microbiology & Virology
                crop production,drought stress,biofertilizers,plant microbiome,sustainable agriculture,tomato,greenhouse experiment

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