Growth promotion and yield enhancement of barley cultivars using ACC deaminase producing Pseudomonas fluorescens strains under salt stress

Plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria containing 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate (ACC) deaminase enzyme reduce the level of stress, ethylene and stimulate plant growth under various biotic and abiotic stress conditions. The present study aims at characterizing efficient salt-tolerant, ACC deaminase containing Pseudomonas fluorescens strains with plant growth-promoting activity isolated from the rhizosphere of barley plants and evaluating the influence of potent plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) isolates on growth and yield of five barley cultivars under salinity stress. Plant growth and yield in barley cultivars following inoculation with salt-tolerant, ACC deaminase producing PGPR strains under salt stress were quantified. Results indicated that under various levels of salinity (50, 100 and 150 mM NaCl) inoculation with PGPRs had positive impact on growth parameters and yield of barley cultivars including plant height, spike length, weight and number, peduncle length, number of grains per spike, 1000-grain weight and grain yield, comparing to uninoculated control plants under salinity stress. Inoculation of barley cultivars with bacteria ameliorated the negative effects of salinity and resulted in increase in growth and yield. Besides, as the salinity levels increased, growth and yield of barley cultivars decreased; however, cultivars showed different responses to salt stress. This study demonstrates the vital role of rhizobacteria containing ACC deaminase for increasing salt tolerance and consequently improving the growth and yield of barley plants under salinity stress.