Potential of rhizosphere bacteria and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) on the growth of mindi (<i>Melia azedarach</i> L.) seedlings

Rhizosphere bacteria and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) support plant development through nutrient absorption and environmental stress-tolerance mechanisms. This study examined how different types of rhizosphere bacteria and AMF influence the growth of Mindi ( Melia azedarach L.) seedlings. The rhizosphere bacteria included Bacillus sp., Azotobacter sp., Pseudomonas sp., and Azospirillum sp. In contrast, the AMF isolate consisted of a mixture of Gigaspora margarita , Acaulospora spinosa and Glomus manihotis . The results showed that inoculation with a bacterial consortium yielded the highest plant height in mindi seedlings (ρ- value = 0.0419). Inoculation with Bacillus sp. resulted in the highest stem diameter compared with the other treatments (ρ-value = 0.0006). For biomass and AMF colonization variables, Azotobacter sp. exhibited the highest biomass (ρ-value = 0.0501) and AMF colonization percentage (ρ- value = 0.0051) compared with the control and other bacterial inoculation treatments. Furthermore, Indole Acetic Acid (IAA) production was highest in Azotobacter sp. (ρ-value = &lt;0.0001). AMF inoculation in mindi seedlings had no significant effect (ρ-value = 0.3623) on the growth indicators assessed. These results highlight the role of rhizosphere bacteria in improving the quality of mindi seedlings, thereby contributing to sustainable forest management.