The Effect of Indigenous Siderophore and Auxin (IAA) Producing Bacteria on Carotenoid, Proline, and Essential Oil Percentage of German Chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla L.)
Subject Areas : Medicinal Plants
Seyed Hassan Tafaroji
1
*
,
Vahid Tavallali
2
1 - Department of Agriculture, Payame Noor University, Tehran, Iran
2 - Department of Agriculture, Payame Noor University (PNU), Tehran, Iran
Keywords: Essential oil, Auxin, German chamomile, Plant growth-promoting bacteria(PGPR), Siderophore,
Abstract :
This research was conducted to evaluate the effect of indigenous siderophore and auxin-producing bacteria on growth indices and secondary metabolites of German chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla L.) under greenhouse conditions. In this study, rhizospheric bacteria were isolated from calcareous soils in the southern part of Fars province and screened for siderophore and auxin (IAA) production. The superior isolates were molecularly identified using 16S rRNA gene sequencing technique, and their effects were assessed in a greenhouse experiment employing a completely randomized design with three replications on chamomile plants. Measured indices included shoot dry weight, total chlorophyll content, carotenoid, proline, and essential oil percentage. Among the superior isolates, the strain Pseudomonas fluorescens SF1044 significantly increased dry weight (22.8%), total chlorophyll (35.8%), carotenoid (35.3%), and essential oil percentage (36.1%) compared to the control. The strain Pseudomonas syringae SF1050 was ranked as the second most effective treatment. In contrast, strain SF1044 caused a significant decrease in proline content (31.8%), indicating reduced stress in the inoculated plants. The results demonstrate the high potential of the indigenous isolates, particularly strain SF1044, in improving growth and enhancing the quantitative and qualitative yield of chamomile through various mechanisms. This strain can be introduced as a promising candidate for the production of biofertilizers and application in the sustainable cultivation of this valuable medicinal plant in calcareous soils.
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