Impact of hydrogel-based bioformulation of drought tolerant Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Bacillus cereus consortia for Iron and Zinc accumulation in Vigna unguiculata under water stress
Controlled pot trial demonstrates enhanced drought resilience and micronutrient accumulation in cowpea beans, suggesting an effective biofortification strategy for arid agriculture.
Key Points
To develop an alginate-carboxymethyl cellulose hydrogel bioformulation delivering a drought-tolerant bacterial consortium to mitigate water stress and enhance iron and zinc uptake in cowpea.
Encapsulated a consortium of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Bacillus cereus (CSM2) alongside siderophore-rich supernatant into an alginate-carboxymethyl cellulose hydrogel formulated with fermented banana peel water.
Assessed plant growth-promoting traits under PEG-induced osmotic stress and conducted pot trials with Vigna unguiculata subjected to drought stress.
Hydrogel bioformulation treatment significantly increased seed germination by 1.9-fold, plant length by 74%, chlorophyll content by > 2-fold, and relative water content by 30% compared to untreated controls.
Under terminal drought conditions, the treatment markedly elevated antioxidant activities and increased grain iron and zinc concentrations by approximately 66% and 99.6%, respectively.