Pantnagar Journal of Research

Abstract

In light of current challenges, there’s an urgent call for innovative solutions to not only ensure food security but also tackle the pervasive issue of malnutrition amidst mounting environmental pressures. Biofortification, the process of enhancing the nutrient content of crops, is a critical strategy to address malnutrition worldwide. Within this framework, Plant Growth Promoting Rhizobacteria (PGPR) play a vital role in biofortification by improving nutrient uptake, solubilizing insoluble nutrients, and promoting plant growth, thereby contributing to the development of nutrient-rich crops. In this investigation, bacteria were isolated from rhizospheric soil and screened for their potential to solubilize zinc (Zn). Among the isolated rhizobacterial strains, one demonstrated high Zn solubilization potential (48.33µg/mL) during quantitative estimation was selected for further study and identified as Serratia marcescens SCHN1 through molecular identification. Furthermore, selected isolate S. marcescens SCHN1 was found to be positive for multiple PGPR traits including phosphate solubilization, indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), siderophore and ammonia (NH₃ ) production. Subsequently, a pot trial was conducted with wheat seeds inoculated with the selected PGPR strain. Results showed that wheat plants inoculated with the S. marcescens SCHN1 exhibited significant increase in plant height by 11.99% over control. Moreover, the micronutrient content, including zinc (80 mg/kg) and iron (593.5 mg/kg) in wheat grains were significantly improved upon treatment over control group. These findings underscore the importance of PGPR in biofortification efforts aimed at enhancing crop nutrient content and overall plant growth, thus offering promising avenues for addressing global food security challenges.