Pulses provide distinct health benefits due to their low fat content and high protein and fiber contents. Their grain production reaches approximately 93,210 × 10³ tons per year. Pulses benefit from the symbiosis with atmospheric N₂-fixing bacteria, which increases productivity and reduces the need for N fertilizers, thus contributing to mitigation of environmental impact mitigation. Additionally, the root region harbors a rich microbial community with multiple traits related to plant growth promotion, such as nutrient increase and tolerance enhancement to abiotic or biotic stresses. We reviewed the eight most common pulses accounting for almost 90% of world production: common beans, chickpeas, peas, cowpeas, mung beans, lentils, broad beans, and pigeon peas. We focused on updated information considering both single-rhizobial inoculation and co-inoculation with plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria. We found approximately 80 microbial taxa with PGPR traits, mainly Bacillus sp., B. subtilis, Pseudomonas sp., P. fluorescens, and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, and that contributed to improve plant growth and yield under different conditions. In addition, new data on root, nodule, rhizosphere, and seed microbiomes point to strategies that can be used to design new generations of biofertilizers, highlighting the importance of microorganisms for productive pulse systems.

Agriculture is a fundamental activity for human development. However, its sustainable practice is required to ensure the perpetuity of future resources. In this way, bacteria can benefit crops by making available nutrients and metabolites, mainly contributing to reducing the demand for chemical fertilizers. This study aimed to evaluate the biofertilizing capacity of Azospirillum brasilense, Bacillus megaterium, and Brevibacillus fluminis and their effects on improving the physiological and morphoanatomical properties of strawberry seedlings. In vitro tests were performed to evince their potential to supply nutrients (P and K) and produce siderophores and indole-acetic acid. In an inoculation experiment, these strains were inoculated in isolation and mixed in pairs and triples. This experiment was carried out in a greenhouse in a completely randomized design (CRD). The inoculated treatments were fertilized with 30% N and P demands; the uninoculated control received 30% and 100% of these demands. Leaf gas exchange, total chlorophylls, and crown diameter were evaluated during cultivation. After 138 days, leaf number, nutrient content, root length, root and shoot fresh and dry weight, and total seedlings were evaluated. The bacteria tested positive in all in vitro evaluations except for siderophore production. The strawberry responded positively to inoculation. The inoculation, either in isolation or in a mixture, improved stomatal conductance, leaf transpiration, internal CO₂ concentration, leaf N and Mg contents, crown diameter, leaf area, and root elongation. We can conclude that the intermediation of microorganisms improves nutrient use efficiency and reduces the strawberry’s fertilizer demand by up to 70%, leading to plant development and yields comparable to complete fertilization.

Bacterial inoculation stimulates growth and adaptation in micropropagated plants. This study evaluated the effects of biotization on in vitro seedling production and in vivo adaptation in two potato cultivars, Agatha and Duvira. Nine bacterial strains were tested for hormone production and ACC deaminase activity and then inoculated in vitro and re-inoculated in vivo. Growth, adaptation, and tuber production were assessed. Biotization significantly enhanced seedling growth, survival, and tuber yield. Biotized seedlings had a 1.3-fold higher survival rate than the controls. Azospirillum brasilense Ab-V5 and Rhizobium tropici CIAT 899 promoted at least one growth variable in both cultivars under in vitro and in vivo conditions. A. brasilense Ab-V5 consistently improved plant performance across production stages, with re-inoculated plants showing 1.2–1.3-fold increases in stem and root length and a 1.1-fold gain in total dry biomass. Additionally, inoculated plants produced 1.9 times more tubers than the controls. Biotization effects were strain-dependent, with A. brasilense Ab-V5 improving in vitro seedling quality and enhancing plant performance and survivability in vivo.