title: Plant Growth-Promoting Rhizobacteria Stimulate Vegetative Growth and Asexual Reproduction of Kalanchoe daigremontiana.
abstract: Certain bacterial species associate with plant roots in soil. The plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) stimulate plant growth and yield in greenhouse and field. Here, we examined whether application of known bacilli PGPR strains stimulated growth and asexual reproduction in the succulent plant Kalanchoe daigremontiana. Four PGPR strains B. amyloliquefaciens IN937a, B. cereus BS107, B. pumilus INR7, and B. subtilis GB03 were applied to young plantlets by soil-drenching, and plant growth and development was monitored for three months. Aerial growth was significantly stimulated in PGPR-inoculated plants, which was observed as increases in plant height, shoot weight, and stem width. The stimulated growth influenced plant development by increasing the total number of leaves per plant. Treatment with bacilli also increased the total root biomass compared with that of control plants, and led to a 2-fold increase in asexual reproduction and plantlet formation on the leaf. Collectively, our results firstly demonstrate that Bacillus spp. promote vegetative development of K. daigremontiana, and the enhanced growth stimulates asexual reproduction and plantlet formation.
authors.affiliation: Molecular Phytobacteriology Laboratory, Superbacteria Research Center, KRIBB, Daejeon 305-806, Korea ; Agricultural Microbiology Division, NAAS, RDA, Wanju 565-851, Korea.
authors.forename: Yong-Soon
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Park
authors.affiliation: Agricultural Microbiology Division, NAAS, RDA, Wanju 565-851, Korea.
authors.forename: Kyungseok
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Park
authors.affiliation: Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, Auburn University, Alabama 36849, USA.
authors.forename: Joseph W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Kloepper
authors.affiliation: Molecular Phytobacteriology Laboratory, Superbacteria Research Center, KRIBB, Daejeon 305-806, Korea ; Biosystems and Bioengineering Program, University of Science and Technology (UST), Daejeon 305-350, Korea.
authors.forename: Choong-Min
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Ryu
keywords: Bacillus spp.; Kalanchoe daigremontiana; asexual plant reproduction; plant growth; plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR); rhizosphere