Enhancing micronutrient uptake and yield of wheat through bacterial PGPR consortia

A pot experiment was undertaken under net house conditions, with three rhizobacterial strains AW1 (Bacillus sp.), AW5 (Providencia sp.) and AW7 (Brevundimonas sp.), applied along with 2/3 recommended dose of nitrogen (N) and full dose of phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) fertilizers (N90P60K60). An enhancement of 14–34% in plant biometric parameters and 28–60% in micronutrient content was recorded in treatments receiving the combination of AW1 + AW5 strains, as compared to full dose of fertilizer application. The treatment involving inoculation with AW5 + AW7 recorded highest values of % P and N, with a two-fold enhancement in phosphorus and 66.7% increase in N content, over full dose application of P and K fertilizers. A significant correlation was recorded between plant biomass, panicle weight, grain weight, N, P and iron (Fe) with acetylene reduction activity, indicating the significance of N fixation in overall crop productivity. Our study illustrates the multiple benefits of plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) inoculation in integrated nutrient management and biofortification strategies for wheat crop.