Funneliformis mosseae and Pseudomonas putida Driven Symbiosis to Promote Tolerance to Drought Stress in Citrus reticulata
Climate change driven drought is a major constraint on citrus production in subtropical and tropical regions. This study investigates the effects of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR), applied individually and in combination, on drought stress responses in Citrus reticulata. A controlled greenhouse experiment was conducted under well-watered and drought conditions using Funneliformis mosseae (AMF) and Pseudomonas putida (PGPR). Physiological traits related to water status, photosynthesis, antioxidant activity, and nutrient uptake were measured alongside transcriptome profiling.RNA-seq analysis and weighted gene co expression network analysis (WGCNA) were used to identify gene modules and regulatory factors associated with microbial-mediated drought tolerance. Combined AMF and PGPR inoculation resulted in improved water relations, photosynthetic performance, oxidative stress mitigation, and altered expression of stress-responsive genes compared to single inoculations and non-inoculated controls. This dataset provides transcriptomic resources for understanding plant microbe interactions under drought stress and supports the development of microbial strategies to enhance citrus resilience in water-limited environments.