Finding the right rhizobacterial partner is key for plant growth
promotion
Of the three tested rhizobacterial genera, none of the strains showed
growth-promoting effects for all three plant species, indicating
specificity in rhizobacteria-plant interactions (Figure 1 ). For
example, Pbg established an effective partnership with Artemisia
and Broccoli, whereas interaction with Arabidopsis was deleterious given
the significant reduction in biomass and the accumulation of
stress-related dark-purple anthocyanins in the leaves (Figure
1a ). Even when an effective partnership between rhizobacteria and the
host took place, the extent of growth promotion can significantly differ
as shown by the partnership between Pbg and Artemisia
(~500%) and Broccoli (~50%). The
temporal analyses of the rhizobacteria-host interactions also
demonstrated that the establishment of an effective partnership was
characterized by early and sustained induction of growth promotion as
was shown for the interaction of Pbg with Artemisia and Broccoli
(Figure 1e and f ). The differential growth
response of the three plant species to Pbg inoculation
exemplifies the importance of the right partnership for growth
promotion.