Effect of plant growth-promoting bacteria on growth and nutrient uptake of cotton and pea in a semi-arid region of Uzbekistan

Plant growth-promoting bacteria isolated from soil of the root zone of different agricultural crops were analysed for plant growth-promoting effects and improvement of nutrient uptake on cotton and pea in a semi-arid region of Uzbekistan. The investigations were carried out in pot experiments with Calcisol soil. After inoculation with effective bacterial strains Pseudomonas alcaligenes PsA15, P. denitrificans PsD6, Bacillus polymyxa BcP26 and Mycobacterium phlei MbP18, the root and shoot growth of cotton and pea significantly increased. Bacterial inoculation also resulted in significantly higher values for N, P and K contents of plant components. The growth-promoting bacteria produced the phytohormone auxin, were capable of nitrogenase activity and reacted antagonistically to plant pathogenic fungi. Furthermore, they were characterized as salt tolerant and temperature resistant.