Potential application of rhizobacteria as bio-inoculants for enhancing growth of edamame [Glycine max (L.) Merr.]

Edamame [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] is a crop of significant economic and nutritional value, offering notable health benefits. This study aimed to evaluate the plant growth-promoting traits of rhizobacteria under in vitro conditions and to evaluate the effects of a potential strain on pod-related agronomic traits in edamame. All of the 13 tested isolates exhibited the ability to fix atmospheric nitrogen, solubilize inorganic phosphate, and produce indole-3-acetic acid (IAA). The application of Bacillus albus AG3.1 as a soil drench allowed for a 25%–50% reduction in nitrogen fertilizer input relative to the full-fertilizer control, while maintaining comparable plant growth performance. These findings highlight B. albus AG3.1 as a promising candidate for the development of microbial bioinoculants aimed at promoting environmentally friendly and fertilizer-efficient edamame cultivation.