Amelioration of Salinity Stress by PGPR

Salinity stress has been recognized as one of the leading causes of land degradation and poor agricultural productivity across the globe. Salt stress negatively impacts plants via generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) which act as a signal during salt stress simultaneously injuring plant root and shoot tissue by disturbing enzyme, cell wall and membrane function. With the objective of developing sustainable techniques of agriculture in salt affected areas, plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) have been employed as growth promoters to study and understand their role in salt stress management in various plants. Recent researches have indicated their participation in ROS management via enhanced enzymatic and nonenzymatic antioxidant activities. ACC deaminase activity present in rhizobacteria has also been credited to manage salinity stress by moderating the levels of increased ethylene in salt affected plants. With the increased focus on environmental friendly approaches of agriculture, the PGPR have become a viable option for enhancing plant yield and productivity; however, the mechanisms driving the plant-microbe communication are still being elucidated.