This study aimed to isolate lactic acid bacteria (LAB) from wheat rhizosphere, to characterize their in vitro plant growth promoting activities and to differentiate plant-associated LAB from those associated with foods or human disease through comparative genomic analysis. Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis and Enterococcus faecium were isolated using de Man-Rogosa-Sharpe (MRS) and Glucose Yeast Peptone (GYP) as enrichment culture media. Comparative genomic analyses showed that plant-associated LAB strains were enriched in genes coding for bacteriocin production when compared to strains from other ecosystems. Isolates of L. lactis and E. faecium did not produce physiologically relevant concentrations of the phyto-hormone indolacetic acid. All isolates solubilized high amount of phosphate and 12 of 16 strains solubilized potassium. E. faecium LB5, L. lactis LB6, LB7, and LB9 inhibited the plant pathogenic Fusarium graminearum to the same extent as two strains of Bacillus sp. However, the antifungal activity of the abovementioned LAB strains depended on the medium of cultivation and a low pH while antifungal activity of Bacillus spp. was independent of the growth medium and likely relates to antifungal lipopeptides. This study showed the potential of rhizospheric LAB for future application as biofertilizers in agriculture.

The present research aimed at evaluating the harmless dissipation of excess excitation energy by durum wheat (Triticum durum Desf.) leaves in response to the application of a bacterial consortium consisting of four plant growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB). Three pot experiments were carried out under non-stress, drought (at 40% field capacity), and salinity (150 mM NaCl) conditions. The results showed that drought and salinity affected photo-protective energy dissipation of photosystem II (PSII) increasing the rate of non-photochemical chlorophyll fluorescence quenching (NPQ (non-photochemical quenching) and qCN (complete non-photochemical quenching)), as well as decreasing the total quenching of chlorophyll fluorescence (qTQ), total quenching of variable chlorophyll fluorescence (qTV) and the ratio of the quantum yield of actual PSII photochemistry, in light-adapted state to the quantum yield of the constitutive non-regulatory NPQ (PQ rate). Our results also indicated that the PGPB inoculants can mitigate the adverse impacts of stresses on leaves, especially the saline one, in comparison with the non-fertilized (control) treatment, by increasing the fraction of light absorbed by the PSII antenna, PQ ratio, qTQ, and qTV. In the light of findings, our beneficial bacterial strains showed the potential in reducing reliance on traditional chemical fertilizers, in particular in saline soil, by improving the grain yield and regulating the amount of excitation energy.