Bioprospecting Soyabean Bacterial Endophytes for ACC Deaminase and Herbicidal Activities

Abstract

The aim of this work is to isolate and characterize potential microbes with ACC deaminase activity and weedicidal activity for the stress amelioration in plants. Inoculation of plants with such putative potential microorganism may help to increase agriculture productivity. As the exploitation of chemical pesticide becomes more and more difficult, the study of weedicidal activity of endophytic bacteria can suggest any alternative to conventional chemical weedicides in management of the biotic stress. Our research findings clearly demonstrated microbial strategies for mitigating abiotic stress like drought (through ACC deaminase enzyme) and also given proof of their potential to control weeds by producing VOC. These bacteria can be utilized as potential bioinoculants as a substitute for chemical herbicides. The outcome of this study will be helpful in developing a better understanding of the dual role of plant-associated bacteria. This study validates the fact that there is always two sides of a coin as here we can see the role of endophytic bacteria involved as both plant growth promoting bacteria as well as deleterious allelopathic rhizobacteria. The practice of using bioinoculants in agriculture is an attempt to prevent long-term damage to the environment and thus promotes sustainable agriculture. newline