Bioprospecting Cycas revoluta-associated bacterial endophytes for tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) growth promotion under salt stress.
Benjelloun J, Hnini M, Bouzroud S, El Attar I, Mghazli N
Soil Health
If you've ever tried growing tomatoes in coastal, drought-affected, or heavily irrigated soil that's gone salty and bitter, these bacteria — coaxed from an ancient cycad's roots — could one day be the seed treatment that makes your plants thrive where they'd otherwise struggle.
Scientists found bacteria living inside the roots of sago palm, an ancient plant related to ferns and conifers. Two of these bacteria, when applied to tomato seeds and seedlings, helped the plants grow much better even when the soil was too salty — roots grew longer, leaves got bigger, and plants held onto water better. This is the first time anyone has looked at sago palm's root microbes as a resource for helping crops grow.
Key Findings
Seed treatment with two bacterial strains improved tomato germination rate to 75.3% at high salt levels (150 mM NaCl) compared to untreated seeds.
Inoculated tomato plants showed up to 55% longer roots, 72% higher shoot dry weight, and 92% better water retention under salt stress conditions in greenhouse trials.
The bacteria were sourced from coralloid roots of Cycas revoluta — marking the first-ever agricultural prospecting of this unique cycad root microbiome.
chevron_right Technical Summary
Researchers discovered that bacteria living inside the roots of sago palm can dramatically boost tomato plant growth even in salty soils, offering a natural, microbe-based alternative to chemical fertilizers for salt-stressed crops.
Abstract Preview
Twenty endophytic bacterial strains isolated from Cycas revoluta coralloid roots were characterized for their salt stress tolerance and phyto-beneficial properties, mainly indole-3-acetic acid prod...
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Sago palm is a common name for several plants which are used to produce a starchy food known as sago. Sago palms may be "true palms" in the family Arecaceae, or cycads with a palm-like appearance. Sago produced from cycads must be detoxified before consumption. Plants called sago palm include:Met...