Bacteria That Alleviate Plant Stress in High-Salt and Metal-Contaminated Soil

The worldwide increases in both environmental damage and human population pressure have the unfortunate consequence that global food production may soon become insufficient to feed all of the world’s people. To significantly increase agricultural productivity within the next few decades without contributing to additional environmental problems, agricultural practice needs to move toward a more sustainable and environmentally friendly approach. These changes in agriculture will likely include the increasing use of both transgenic plants and plant growth-promoting bacteria as a part of mainstream agricultural practice. This talk will discuss and consider a number of the mechanisms utilized by plant growth-promoting bacteria. Evidence will be provided regarding the use of use of plant growth-promoting bacteria to various types of environmental stress including fungal and bacterial phytopathogens, flooding, drought, the presence of organic contaminants, nematodes, salt and the presence of heavy metals. It is envisioned that, especially in the developing world, in the not too distant future, plant growth-promoting bacteria will begin to replace the use of chemicals in agriculture, horticulture, silviculture and environmental cleanup strategies. While there is not one simple strategy that can effectively promote the growth of all plants under all conditions, some of the strategies that will be discussed already show great promise.