Plant growth-promoting bacteria modulate metabolism and nitrogen accumulation to counteract drought damage in cactus pear plants
Searching sustainable management techniques to enhance plant resistance to drought is crucial for agriculture in stressful scenarios. This study aimed to investigate the role of Plant Growth-Promoting Bacteria (PGPB) strains on forage cactus pear performance under drought. Trials were conducted in greenhouse using forage cactus plants in randomized block experimental design, 8 × 2 factorial scheme, consisting of eight inoculation treatments [inoculation with Paenibacillus sp. IPACC38 and IPACC55, and Bacillus subtilis IPACC29 strains combined with and without nitrogen (N) fertilization] and two water regimes [control at 50% field capacity (FC) and drought at 25% FC]. Drought significantly decreased plant growth across all treatments, regardless of N/inoculation treatment. The best performance under drought was observed in plants grown without N and inoculated with IPACC29 and IPACC38 strains. Improved performance under drought was closely related to PGPB's capacity to provide N accumulation for strategic photosynthetic pigments content, resulting in better root growth and plant development. Our findings reveal that IPACC29 and IPACC38 are the most promising PGPB strains for inoculating forage cactus pear, activating important defense responses against drought. This system offers alternative for cultivating cactus under water restriction and reduced N availability to increase green forage biomass production in dry regions.
Authors
- Romilda Rodrigues do Nascimento (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8715-4090)
- Rhaiana Oliveira de Aviz (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4462-4339)
- Rodrigo Fonseca da Silva (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9577-6458)
- Francisco de Alcântara Neto (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7656-6700)
- Pâmalla Graziely Carvalho Morais (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4827-3270)
- Ricardo Loiola Edvan (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5999-8934)
- Ademir Sérgio Ferreira de Araújo (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3212-3852)
- Elaine Martins da Costa (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7261-5790)
- Renato Oliveira de Sousa (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8427-2991)
- Acacyara Batista de Sousa (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6662-126X)
- Cácio Luiz Boechat (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5086-9156)
- Gonçalves Albino Dauala (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2827-3345)
- Bruno Sousa Figueiredo da Fonseca (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9085-3098)
- Rafael de Souza Miranda (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9087-6190)
- Stelamaris de Oliveira Paula‐Marinho (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2819-4794)
- Marcos Renan Lima Leite (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2910-9232)
- José Hélio Costa (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7914-0150)
- Maria Helena Ferreira Duarte
Institutions
- Universidade Federal do Ceará (BR)
- Universidade Federal do Piauí (BR)
- Universidade Federal de Campina Grande (BR)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Scientific Reports
- Published
- 2025-10-17
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-20509-5
- Citations
- 1
- Primary Topic
- Botanical Research and Applications
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 1.16
Funders
- Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior
- Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico
- Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado do Piauí