Mechanisms and practical considerations involved in plant growth promotion by rhizobacteria

• O Martínez-Viveros ^[1] ; M.A Jorquera ^[1] ; D.E Crowley ^[3] ; G Gajardo ^[2] ; M.L Mora ^[1]
  1. [1] Universidad de La Frontera

     Universidad de La Frontera

     Temuco, Chile

     
  2. [2] Universidad de Los Lagos

     Universidad de Los Lagos

     Osorno, Chile

     
  3. [3] University of California Department of Environmental Sciences

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• Localización: Journal of soil science and plant nutrition, ISSN-e 0718-9516, ISSN 0718-9508, Vol. 10, Nº. 3, 2010, págs. 293-319
• Idioma: inglés
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• Resumen

  • Rhizobacteria are capable of stimulating plant growth through a variety of mechanisms that include improvement of plant nutrition, production and regulation of phytohormones, and suppression of disease causing organisms. While considerable research has demonstrated their potential utility, the successful application of plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) in the field has been limited by a lack of knowledge of ecological factors that determine their survival and activity in the plant rhizosphere. To be effective, PGPR must maintain a critical population density of active cells. Inoculation with PGPR strains can temporarily enhance the population size, but inoculants often have poor survival and compete with indigenous bacteria for available growth substrates. PGPR often have more than one mechanism for enhancing plant growth and experimental evidence suggests that the plant growth stimulation is the net result of multiple mechanisms of action that may be activated simultaneously. The aim of this review is to describe PGPR modes of action and discuss practical considerations for PGPR use in agriculture.