Palliating Salt Stress in Mustard through Plant-Growth-Promoting Rhizobacteria: Regulation of Secondary Metabolites, Osmolytes, Antioxidative Enzymes and Stress Ethylene

The severity of salt stress is alarming for crop growth and production and it threatens food security. Strategies employed for the reduction in stress are not always eco-friendly or sustainable. Plant-growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) could provide an alternative sustainable stress reduction strategy owning to its role in various metabolic processes. In this study, we have used two strains of PGPR, <i>Pseudomonas fluorescens</i> (NAIMCC-B-00340) and <i>Azotobacter chroococcum</i> Beijerinck 1901 (MCC 2351), either singly or in combination, and studied their effect in the amelioration of salt toxicity in mustard cultivar Pusa Jagannath via its influence on plants’ antioxidants’ metabolism, photosynthesis and growth. Individually, the impact of <i>Pseudomonas fluorescens</i> was better in reducing stress ethylene, oxidative stress, photosynthesis and growth but maximal alleviation was observed with their combined application. MDA and H₂O₂ content as indicator of oxidative stress decreased by 27.86% and 45.18% and osmolytes content (proline and glycine-betaine) increased by 38.8% and 26.3%, respectively, while antioxidative enzymes (SOD, CAT, APX and GR) increased by 58.40, 25.65, 81.081 and 55.914%, respectively, over salt-treated plants through the application of <i>Pseudomonas fluorescens</i>. The combined application maximally resulted in more cell viability and less damage to the leaf with lesser superoxide generation due to higher antioxidative enzymes and reduced glutathione formation (GSH). Considering the obtained results, we can supplement the PGPR in combination to plants subjected to salt stress, prevent photosynthetic and growth reduction, and increase the yield of plants.