A special group of soil bacteria, called Plant Growth Promoting Bacteria (PGPBs), helps plants grow and remain healthy. PGPBs typically live in the narrow zone of soil immediately around plant roots, called the rhizosphere, or within plant roots, called the endosphere. They stabilize nutrients and fight off plant diseases, improving plant health.
PGPBs are the main component in mixtures of living microorganisms that farmers apply to crop fields, called biofertilizers. Biofertilizers are considered a “greener” alternative to common chemical fertilizers, so developing mixtures of PGPBs is a primary goal for sustainable crop management.
A team of researchers in Italy studied how 3 mixtures of PGPBs affected the natural microbial populations in the rhizosphere and endosphere of 2 sunflower varieties. Their goal was to assess whether PGPB inoculants had lasting effects on sunflower microbial communities. They also tested whether there was a noticeable difference in the microbial communities of naturally-produced versus genetically-modified sunflower varieties.
A special group of soil bacteria, called Plant Growth Promoting Bacteria (PGPBs), helps plants grow and remain healthy. PGPBs typically live in the narrow zone of soil immediately around plant roots, called the rhizosphere, or within plant roots, called the endosphere. They stabilize nutrients and fight off plant diseases, improving plant health.
PGPBs are the main component in mixtures of living microorganisms that farmers apply to crop fields, called biofertilizers. Biofertilizers are considered a “greener” alternative to common chemical fertilizers, so developing mixtures of PGPBs is a primary goal for sustainable crop management.
A team of researchers in Italy studied how 3 mixtures of PGPBs affected the natural microbial populations in the rhizosphere and endosphere of 2 sunflower varieties. Their goal was to assess whether PGPB inoculants had lasting effects on sunflower microbial communities. They also tested whether there was a noticeable difference in the microbial communities of naturally-produced versus genetically-modified sunflower varieties.
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