The application of liquid bacterial consortia to soil under natural conditions may fail due to various environmental constraints. In this study, the suitability and efficiency of compost, biogas slurry, crushed corn cob, and zeolite as carriers to support the survival of plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) and improve the performance of multi-strain bacterial consortia to mitigate the effects of salinity stress on wheat under pot conditions were evaluated. The survival of strains of Pseudomonas putida, Serratia ficaria, and Pseudomonas fluorescens labelled with gusA was evaluated for up to 90 days. Seeds coated with different carrier-based formulations of multi-strain consortia were sown in pots at three different salinity levels (1.53, 10, and 15 dS m-1). Results showed that salinity stress significantly reduced wheat growth, yield, gas exchange, and ionic and biochemical parameter values, but the 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate (ACC) deaminase-containing multi-strain consortium used mitigated the inhibitory effects of salinity on plant growth and yield parameters. However, carrier-based inoculation further improved the efficacy of multi-strain consortium inoculation and significantly (P < 0.05) increased the growth, yield, and physiological parameters value of wheat at all salinity levels. On the basis of the observed trends in survival and the outcomes of the pot trials, the inoculation of multi-strain consortia in compost and biogas slurry carriers resulted in more successful wheat growth under salinity stress compared to that in the rest of the treatments tested.

The silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) were synthesized via green synthesis approach using Euporbia serpens Kunth aqueous extract. The synthesized AgNPs were characterized by UV‐visible spectroscopy and Furrier Transformer Infra‐Red spectroscopy to justify the reduction and stabilization of AgNPs from its precursors. AgNPs characteristic absorption peak was observed at 420 nm in the UV‐visible spectrum. The SEM and TEM analysis demonstrated the spherical shape of the synthesized nanoparticles with particle sizes ranging from 30 nm to 80 nm. FTIR transmission bands at 2920 cm^-1, 1639 cm^-1, 1410 cm^-1, 3290 cm^-1, and 1085 cm^-1 were attributed to C‐H, C=O, C‐C, N‐H, and C‐N functional groups, respectively. XRD peaks could be attributed to (111), (200), (220), and (311) crystalline plane of the faced‐centered cube (FCC) crystalline structure of the metallic silver nanoparticles. The AgNPs showed good antibacterial activity against all the tested bacteria at each concentration. The particles were found to be more active against Escherichia coli (E. coli) with 20 ± 06 mm and Salmonella typhi (S. typhi) with 18 ± 0.5 mm zone of inhibition in reference to standard antibiotic amoxicillin with 23 ± 0.3 mm and 20 ± 0.4 mm zone of inhibition, respectively. Moderate antifungal activities were observed against Candida albicans (C. albicans) and Alternaria alternata (A. alternata) with zone of inhibitions 16.5 mm and 15 mm, respectively, compared to the standard with 23 mm of inhibition. Insignificant antifungal inhibition of 7.5 mm was observed against Fusarium gramium (F. gramium). All the tested concentrations of AgNPs showed comparable % RSA with the standard reference ascorbic acid in the range sixty percent to seventy five percent. The percent motility at 3 hours postincubation showed quick response and most Tetramorium caespitum were found deceased or paralyzed. Similarly, the percent mortality showed a linear response at concentration and time. It was observed that 1 μg/mL to 2 μg/mL concentration of AgNPs displayed a significant cytotoxic activity against Artemia salina with LD₅₀ of 5.37 and 5.82, respectively.