What Are Plant Growth Promoting Bacteria?

By Kaitlyn Ersek on Apr 5, 2017 6:00:00 AM

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Plants aren’t as vulnerable as they appear. Soil microbes form symbiotic (mutually beneficial) relationships with the plant, offering to boost plant defenses and plant growth in return for food sources.

Plant Growth-Promoting Bacteria (PGPB) is a special class of bacteria that occupy the rhizosphere (root zone) of the plant and have the ability to promote plant growth and plant defenses.

PGPB directly affects plant growth

PGPB directly affects plant growth by facilitating the availability of nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus and iron. These nutrients are critical to plant biochemistry, and without them plant growth is limited. While nitrogen, phosphorus and iron may be abundant in the soil, they are often found in a form the plant can’t utilize. PGPB convert those nutrients to the form the plant can use.

PGPB can also produce plant hormones like auxins, gibberellins and cytokinins that stimulate plant root and shoot growth in exchange for food sources from the plant.

PGPB protects the plant

PGPB has the ability to protect the plant from pathogens through microbial antagonism. PGPB out-compete pathogens for nutrients and produce antibiotics and anti-fungal metabolites.

PGPB also have the ability to help the plant defend itself from pathogens through Induced Systemic Resistance (ISR). ISR triggers a signal in the plant that activates the plant’s defense system such as reinforcing plant cell walls, producing anti-microbial phytoalexins and synthesizing pathogen-related proteins.

PGPB found in Holganix Bio 800⁺

Holganix Bio 800⁺ is our product line of plant probiotics containing over 800 species of beneficial microorganisms, microbe food and nutrient enhancers to promote optimal plant health with less fertilizers, pesticides and water needed.

One of the important ingredients in Holganix Bio 800⁺ is PGPB. In order to ensure that each batch is teeming with PGPB, Holganix uses DNA fingerprinting as a critical function to its manufacturing process.

Access our key ingredient list by clicking the button below.