Pseudomonas biofertilizer: a key approach in reducing the use of chemical fertilizers and soil pollution

Today, the use of chemical fertilizers to increase the amount of production per unit area of agricultural products has caused many environmental problems. In addition, environmental stress is one of the most important factors that reduce crop yield and production. An environmentally friendly alternative to chemical fertilizers that can overcome these problems is biofertilizers. Biofertilizers based on plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPRs) have both direct and indirect mechanisms to improve plant growth, such as biological nitrogen fixation (BNF), solubilization of insoluble nutrients like phosphorus and potassium, production of siderophore, antibiotics, hormones, and Hydrogen cyanide (HCN). These mechanisms help to increase plant resistance to environmental stresses such as salinity, drought, inappropriate temperature, heavy metals, and more, ultimately leading to improved plant growth and performance indicators. Bacteria of different genera can enhance plant growth, but one of the most capable bacteria is Pseudomonas. Pseudomonas is an aerobic, gram-negative, rod-shaped, and non-motile bacterium that can increase plant yield with various mechanisms such as nutrient uptake facilitation, phosphate solubilization, siderophore production, nitrogen fixation, plant hormone levels modulation, and antimicrobial compounds production. Using chemical fertilizers harms the environment and soil, necessitating the investigation of alternative solutions. This review introduces the Pseudomonas genus and discusses its various powerful mechanisms that help in enhancing plant and crop growth and confirms that Pseudomonas inoculum is an excellent option for increasing plant yield due to its economic benefits, high efficiency, and environmental friendliness.

Keywords:

Biofertilizer , Organic agriculture , Phosphate solubilization , PGPR , Pseudomonas , Siderophore