Impacto de isolados e consórcios bacterianos no crescimento e resposta da batata (Solanum tuberosum L.) ao estresse térmico in vitro e in vivo

Abstract

Climate change is one of the biggest concerns of recent decades for researchers, farmers, economists and governments. Experts on this field show the damage it causes to agriculture; however, agriculture itself is part of the causes of global climate change, as is conventional agriculture. In order to guarantee food production in the long term, it is necessary to develop sustainable agricultural practices based on conservationist approaches. These practices should allow farmers to obtain economic benefits while guaranteeing stable long-term production and minimizing the negative impact on the environment. In this context, the use of microbial inoculants plays a fundamental role and can be considered one of the main drivers for sustainable agriculture that is not so vulnerable to climate change. Different microorganisms are proposed as biofertilizers, biostimulants, and biocontrol agents to improve plant growth and productivity, in addition to their adaptation to abiotic and biotic stresses, in different production systems such as in in vitro culture. Therefore, in this study, we evaluated the ability of nine multifunctional bacteria to promote the growth and production of two potato cultivars (Solanum tuberosum L.) under in vitro and in vivo conditions. The results show that bacterial attributes such as the hormones production and enzyme ACC deaminase activity influence plant growth, improve the plant's adaptive capacity in vivo, and increase tuber production. Similarly, micro plants of potato cv Ágata were biotized with microbial consortia formed with the best strains and subjected to heat stress. The inoculated micro plants showed a higher growth rate in vitro and in vivo. Their physiological and biochemical responses to heat stress were improved, as shown by the greater activation of the antioxidant enzymes that minimize the harmful impact of H2O2 (SOD, APX, and CAT) and Malondialdehyde on the plant's tissues. The contents of photosynthetic pigments and osmolytes were also increased, maintaining tuber formation under these stress conditions. The results show that cultivating plants with individual microbial inoculants or in consortia can find a strategic place in vitro cultivation and environments under abiotic stress.