Inoculation with Indole-3-Acetic Acid-Producing Rhizospheric Rhodobacter sphaeroides KE149 Augments Growth of Adzuki Bean Plants under Water Stress

The use of plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria is economically viable and environmentally safe for mitigating various plant stresses. Abiotic stresses such as flood and drought are a serious threat to modern agriculture. In the present study, the indole-3-acetic acid-producing rhizobacterium R. sphaeroides KE149 was selected, and its effects on the growth of adzuki bean plants under flood stress (FS) and drought stress (DS) were investigated. IAA quantification of bacterial pure culture revealed that KE149 produced a significant amount of IAA. Moreover, KE149 inoculation notably decreased stress-responsive endogenous abscisic acid and jasmonic acid and increased salicylic acid in plants under DS and FS. KE149 inoculation also increased proline under DS and methionine under FS. In addition, KE149 inoculation significantly increased the levels of calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), and potassium (K) while lowering the sodium (Na) content in the plant shoot under stress. KE149-treated plants had markedly greater root length, shoot length, stem diameter, biomass, and higher chlorophyll content under both normal and stressed conditions. These results suggest that KE149 could be an efficient biofertilizer for mitigating water stress.