Plants use several biological defense mechanisms associated with microorganisms in their microbiota to mitigate the effects of abiotic stress factors such as salinity and drought. This situation enhanced this research interest aimed at isolating beneficial bacteria from plant microbiota and using them to combat salinity stress conditions. This study evaluated the effect of five bacterial strains, viz., Priestia megaterium HAST2, Priestia aryabhattai HAST7, Pseudomonas plecoglossicida HAST9, Pseudomonas putida HAST10, and Pseudomonas chlororaphis HAST17, on the growth and development parameters of cotton under a saline environment. The strains came from the endomicrobiota of the vegetative organs of glasswort (Halocnemum strobilaceum). The results showed the bacterial strain P. chlororaphis HAST17 considerably stimulates cotton germination, shoot and root growth and development, and seed cotton yield traits under salinity conditions. The findings revealed such types of bacterial strains can increase the diversity of eco-products that stimulate crop growth and production under salinity conditions.
Bacterial strains, cotton, endophyte, glasswort (H. strobilaceum), salinity stress, seed germination, seed treatment, yield
The study evaluated the potential of endophytic bacteria isolated from glasswort (H. strobilaceum) as a promising stimulator for sustainable cotton cultivation under salinity conditions, selecting the bacterial strain P. chlororaphis HAST17 from among them.