Prospects for the combined use of Pseudomonas koreensis and Pseudomonas plecoglossicida for biological enrichment of plants with nitrogen

Introduction: Significant economic costs and potential environmental risks associated with improper use of mineral fertilizers necessitate the development of alternative strategies for nitrogen nutrition of agricultural crops. One of such approaches is biological nitrogen fixation by nitrogen-fixing microorganisms. The process of biological fixation has been studied best in the context of symbiotic interactions with legumes, but modern research is focused on expanding its application to non-legumes. In this context, non-symbiotic diazotrophs of the genus Pseudomonas are of considerable interest; their nitrogen-fixing potential requires further study and verification. This study characterizes the functional potential of domestic Pseudomonas strains and forms a scientific basis for their effective combined use to improve nitrogen nutrition of non-legumes.

Purpose: To characterize the nitrogen-fixing capacity of Pseudomonas koreensis В-3481 and Pseudomonas plecoglossicida В-13802 and to investigate the prospects of their combined application for enhancing plant nitrogen nutrition.

Materials and Methods: The study analysed the strains Pseudomonas koreensis B-3481 and Pseudomonas plecoglossicida B-13802 obtained from the National Bioresource Center of the All-Russian Collection of Industrial Microorganisms of the National Research Center «Kurchatov Institute». The nitrogen-fixing activity of the strains was studied using a Rapid N analyzer, and the ability to produce ammonia was evaluated spectrophotometrically. Laboratory testing was carried out on «Siberian Alliance» spring soft wheat (Triticum aestivum L. emend.). The amount of nitrogen and protein in the aboveground part of plants in the sprout phase on a decimal code scale was determined using the Dumas method.

Results: Research has shown that the studied strains fixed nitrogen when grown on a nitrogen-free nutrient medium, and also had the ability to produce ammonia. The present study is the first to report the nitrogen-fixing ability of Pseudomonas koreensis B-3481 and Pseudomonas plecoglossicida B-13802. The strains did not inhibit each other's growth, which made it possible to construct consortia based on them. The optimal ratio of 2:1 (P. koreensis: P. plecoglossicida) intensified nitrogen fixation (289.76 μg/mL) and ammonia production (344.20 μg/mL). Laboratory testing showed a statistically significant increase in germination, the length of the aerial and root parts of Triticum aestivum L. emend. when treated with a consortium in comparison with the control option by 17% (2.4 and 1.7 cm, respectively). Also, the aerial part of Triticum aestivum L. emend., treated by the consortium, contained 0.51% more nitrogen and 1.15% more protein than the control variant.

Conclusion: It is promising to use a consortium consisting of Pseudomonas koreensis B-3481 and Pseudomonas plecoglossicida B-13802 in a ratio of 2 to 1 as a biofertilizer to increase nitrogen nutrition and wheat yield.

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