In planta selection of plant growth promoting endophytic bacteria for rice (Oryza sativa L.)

In this study, bacteria were isolated from the rhizosphere and inside the roots of canola (Brassica napus L.) plants grown in the field from northern Iran. Firstly, 150 strains (endophytic and rhizospheric isolates) isolated from canola were characterized for plant growth promoting (PGP) traits. Of them, one hundred isolates produced indole3-acetic acid (IAA), whereas 17 isolates solubilized phosphate, 44 isolates produced siderophore, 34 produced 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate (ACC) deaminase and five produced hydrocyanic acid (HCN). All of the screened isolates with different growth promoting traits were separately inoculated as different mixtures on two rice cultivars under gnotobiotic conditions. A total of 22 endophytic isolates were re-isolated from two rice cultivars and characterized for Plant Growth Promoting (PGP) traits again. All 22 endophytic isolates produced IAA. Secondly, the colonization and growth promoting effects of the IAA producing endophytic strains were compared in inoculated rice plantlets as single-strain inoculants. All of the IAA producing strains were consistently more active in colonizing rice seedlings as compared with other isolates. Therefore, it seems that IAA production may be required for endophytic competence as compared to other PGP traits in rice seedlings. In addition, this study indicates that the selected bacterial isolates based on their IAA producing trait have the potential for PGP and more colonization of rice.