Beneficial soil bacterium Bacillus subtilis (GB03) augments salt tolerance of white clover

• DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2014.00525
• Publication Date: 2014-10-08T13:22:57Z
• Authors: Qing-Qing Han; Xin-Pei Lü; Jiang-Ping Bai; Yan Qiao; Paul W. Paré; Suo-Min Wang; Jin-Lin Zhang; Yong-Na Wu; Xiao-Pan Pang; Wen-Bo Xu; Zhi-Liang Wang
• Keywords: Trifolium repens

Soil salinity is an increasingly serious problem worldwide that reduces agricultural output potential. Selected beneficial soil bacteria can promote plant growth and augment tolerance to biotic abiotic stresses. Bacillus subtilis strain GB03 has been shown confer promotion stress in the model Arabidopsis thaliana. Here we examined effect of this bacterium on salt legume forage crop, white clover. Plants clover (Trifolium repens L. cultivar Huia) were grown from seeds with or without inoculation supplemented 0, 50, 100 150 mM NaCl water into soil. Growth parameters, chlorophyll content, malondialdehyde (MDA) content osmotic potential monitored during cycle. Endogenous Na+ K+ contents determined at time harvest. White plants GB03-inoculated significantly larger than non-inoculated controls respect shoot height, root length, biomass, leaf area content; MDA under saline condition severe (150 NaCl) decreased. Furthermore, decreased accumulation thereby improved K+/Na+ ratio when elevated conditions. The results indicate promotes both non-saline conditions by directly indirectly regulating potential, cell membrane integrity ion accumulation.