Nurturing Growth in Salt-Stricken Soil: Unveiling Halotolerant Bacteria for Enhanced Crop Resilience in Saline Soil

Saline stress poses a significant threat to agricultural productivity worldwide, particularly in salt-affected regions. Plant growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB) with halotolerant properties offer a sustainable solution to mitigate this challenge. This study focuses on the isolation, screening, and characterization of halotolerant bacteria from saline environments to enhance plant growth under saline conditions. Bacterial strains were isolated from rhizosphere soils collected from saline-affected agricultural fields in Thanjavur and Pudukkottai districts, Tamil Nadu. The isolates were screened for their ability to tolerate varying sodium chloride concentrations (0 M to 2.5 M) and assessed for plant growth-promoting traits, including indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) production, phosphate, potassium, and zinc solubilization. Further characterization of the isolates focused on their sodium uptake, exopolysaccharide production, and biofilm formation mechanisms critical for survival in saline environments. Molecular identification via 16S rRNA gene sequencing revealed that the isolates belong to the Bacillus genus, known for their plant growth-promoting capabilities. In conclusion, these halotolerant PGPB hold potential as eco-friendly bio-inoculants to alleviate saline stress in crops, offering a sustainable approach to improving agricultural productivity in salt-affected soils. This research underscores the potential of halotolerant PGPB in developing resilient agricultural practices.