Plant growth promoting properties of culturable phylloepiphytic pine bacteria

Abstract

Plant-associated bacteria can affect plants in different ways, including plant growth promoting. Beneficial effects on plant growth can be conditioned directly, by providing plants with nutrients – nitrogen, iron or soluble phosphate or by producing plant hormones. Indirect plant growth promotion way is conditioned by the inhibition of growth of pathogenic microorganisms. The surface of plant leaf – phylloplane along to other epiphytic bacterial habitats, is a promising source of microorganisms with plant growth affecting abilities, including those with biotechnological potential. Ability to synthesize indole-3- acetic acid was frequently found among isolates (17 of 19 isolates tested). 13 of the isolates were able to produce siderophores, 10 – solubilize phosphates and 10 were diazotrophs. Isolates J41.1, J41.2 J4a3, J4a4 showed a beneficial effect on pine seedling. Keywords: Plant-associated bacteria, plant growth promotion, Pinus sylvestris