EFFECT OF PGPR INOCULATION ON DURUM WHEAT GROWTH VARIETIESSEBIHI F.Z., SAOUDI M., DEROUICHE F., BENDJEMANA K., BENGUEDOUAR A., BENHIZIA Y., AND SANCHEZ J.Abstract The purpose of this work is to isolate PGP-effect rhizobacteria and to evaluate their potential for durum wheat varieties. The isolation of the bacteria was done using the suspension-dilution process. Eleven bacterial isolates were isolated from the rhizosphere of hard wheat. The latter were described by molecular characterization, based on the sequencing of RNA 16s. Once established, these isolates were characterized by their traits of growth promotion, such as biological control through the testing of the anti-fungal activity which was performed to two species of Fusarium. The ability of stimulating growth of durum wheat varieties was assessed in vivo. The molecular identification of eleven isolates showed 98-99 % of our isolates to species of the following genera: Enterobacter, Enterobacter asburiae, Paenibacillus glucanolyticus and Serratia sp. Research on the plant growth promoting traits in our isolates, showed that 80% of isolates have shown positive results with qualitative and quantitative estimates of siderophores, as well as for solubilized phosphate. All of our isolates showed a similar result with production of ammonium, cellulase, pectinase and eight isolates released AIA at different concentrations; whereas only three isolates could release HCN, and four isolates did not produce the protease. Similarly, direct inhibition of the growth of Fusarium sp species was observed, with significant improvement in the different growth parameters of the durum wheat varieties being studied. This research concluded that the findings obtained so far demonstrated that our isolates have phytostimulative, and phytoprotective behaviors. The latter opens up the possibility of their use in future laboratory studies in order to generate biofertilizer inoculants. |