Potassium (K) is immobilized within the clay minerals, making it unavailable for plant use. Therefore, the current study aimed to (i) select isolates of purple nonsulfur bacteria that can dissolve K (K-PNSB) and (ii) evaluate the production of plant-growth-promoting substances by the K-PNSB isolates. The results revealed that from in-dyked alluvial soils in hybrid maize fields, 61 K-PNSB isolates were obtained under the pH 5.50 conditions. The total dissolved K content (K_dis) by the 61 K-PNSB isolates fluctuated from 56.2 to 98.6 mg L⁻¹. Therein, three isolates, including M-Sl-09, M-So-11, and M-So-14 had K_dis of 48.1–48.8 mg L⁻¹ under aerobic dark condition (ADC) and 47.6–49.7 mg L⁻¹ under microaerobic light condition (MLC). Moreover, these three isolates can also fix nitrogen (19.1–21.5 mg L⁻¹ and 2.64–7.24 mg L⁻¹), solubilize Ca-P (44.3–46.8 mg L⁻¹ and 0.737–6.965 mg L⁻¹), produce indole-3-acetic acid (5.34–7.13 and 2.40–3.23 mg L⁻¹), 5-aminolevulinic acid (1.85–2.39 and 1.53–2.47 mg L⁻¹), siderophores (1.06–1.52 and 0.92–1.26 mg L⁻¹), and exopolymeric substances (18.1–18.8 and 52.0–56.0%), respectively, under ADC and MLC. The bacteria were identified according to their 16S rDNA as Cereibacter sphaeroides M-Sl-09, Rhodopseudomonas thermotolerans M-So-11, and Rhodospeudomonas palustris M-So-14. These potential bacteria should be further investigated as a plant-growth-promoting biofertilizer.

The overuse of chemical fertilizers under adverse conditions endangers the sustainability of agriculture. A biological approach should be investigated to address this issue. Therefore, this study aimed to detect the potency of purple non-sulfur bacteria that can fix nitrogen (N) (PNSB-fN) Rhodobacter sphaeroides in soil N fertility, plant N uptake, growth, and rice yield. In brief, an experiment was conducted to check whether the biofertilizer containing PNSB-fN strains can improve rice yield and soil fertility under a highly saline acidic condition. A randomized complete block design was used with four replicates on saline soil in An Bien-Kien Giang, Vietnam. The first factor was the N fertilizer level, i.e., (i) 100%, (ii) 75%, (iii) 50%, and (iv) 0%; the second factor was the PNSB-fN (R. sphaeroides), i.e., (i) the control, (ii) S01, (iii) S06, and (iv) combined S01–S06. In the results, supplying PNSB-fN increased NH₄⁺ compared with the control, i.e., 104.7–112.0 mg NH₄⁺ kg⁻¹ compared with 94.0 mg NH₄⁺ kg⁻¹ in season 1 and 35.9–38.0 mg NH₄⁺ kg⁻¹ compared with 34.2 mg NH₄⁺ kg⁻¹ in season 2. Additionally, by supplying each PNSB-fN strain, the soil Na⁺ and plant Na in culm leaf and grain were decreased in comparison with those in treatments without PNSB-fN. The total N uptake was also enhanced by the PNSB-fN compared with the control. Moreover, supplying PNSB-fN improved the crop height, panicle length, panicle quantity pot⁻¹, grain quantity panicle⁻¹, filled spikelet rate, and grain yield compared with the control. Ultimately, in extremely saline soil, the mixture of PNSB-fN not only improved soil fertility and reduced soil salinity but also replaced 25% of chemical N fertilizer to ensure sustainable agriculture. This newly developed biofertilizer was potent in not only improving the rice and soil health in the locality but also performing the same under similar conditions around the globe.

Phosphorus (P) is an important element in crop production. However, under climate change, salinization and acidification limit soil P availability and crop yield, especially rice, while the application of chemical P fertilizer causes an adverse effect on the environment. Thus, the study aimed at assessing the effectiveness of strains of purple nonsulfur bacteria (PNSB) that can solubilize P and tolerate salinity (PNSB-P) in reducing Na+ in soil and plant and improving P uptake, growth, and yield of rice in salinized soils in Vietnam. An experiment with two factors was arranged in completely randomized blocks and replicated four times under greenhouse conditions. Therein, the first factor was five levels of P fertilizers: 0 %, 25 %, 50 %, 75 %, and 100 % of the local recommended level. The second factor was the PNSB-P including single strains of Cereibacter sphaeroides ST16 and ST26, the mixed strains of both C. sphaeroides ST16 and ST26, and the negative control. The results showed that utilizing C. sphaeroides ST16 and ST26 decreased plant proline content by 2.46–6.70 µmol g-1 and soil Na+ concentration by 1.47–1.62 meq 100 g-1. Utilizing PNSB-P increased P content by 5.82–29.2 % in stem-leaf and 12.1–14.6 % in rice grain and decreased 15.1–16.4 % of Na content in stem-leaf and 8.00–15.1 % in rice grain. Moreover, utilizing PNSB-P improved soluble P content by 4.33–9.07 mg P kg-1 and total P uptake by 24.0–46.6 % compared with the negative control. The C. sphaeroides bacteria not only increased rice yield components such as the number of panicles per pot, the number of rice grains per panicle, and filled rice grain rate but also enhanced 20.7–47.6 % of rice grain yield compared with the negative control. Noticeably, utilizing mixed bacterial strains decreased 100 % of chemical P fertilizer compared with the recommendation.

Although purple non-sulfur bacteria (PNSB) have been studied as good biofertilizers, their direct effects on maize seed vigor remain unclear. Additionally, the seedling stage is a vital factor for the later growth of maize. This study was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of potassium-solubilizing PNSB (K-PNSB) in enhancing the vigor of hybrid maize seeds. A completely randomized design was employed, incorporating single strains, Luteovulum sphaeroides M-Sl-09, Rhodopseudomonas thermotolerans M-So-11, and Rhodopseudomonas palustris M-So-14, as well as a mixture of all three strains. Each was tested at bacterial suspension dilution ratios with sterile distilled water of 1:2000; 1:2250; 1:2500; 1:2750; and 1:3000 (v/v), with three replications per treatment. Each replicate consisted of a Petri dish containing 10 hybrid maize seeds of each hybrid of LVN 10, C.P. 511, and NK7328 Gt/BT, and was incubated for five days. The results showed that K-PNSB significantly enhanced root and shoot development compared to the control (p < 0.05). The 1:2500 dilution of the individual strains and the mixture notably improved germination rate, root length, shoot length, and seedling vigor index compared to the control. At the 1:2500 dilution, the improved vigor index increased by 73.5% for L. sphaeroides, 48.7% for R. thermotolerans, 47.4% for R. palustris, and 78.5% for the mixed inoculum in the LVN 10 hybrid. Similar trends were observed for C.P. 511 and NK7328 hybrids, confirming strain- and hybrid-specific responses. The findings highlight that K-PNSB can serve as effective bio-priming agents to enhance maize seed vigor through mechanisms related to potassium solubilization and phytohormone production. Field-scale validation is recommended to assess their long-term agronomic potential.

The increasing reliance on chemical fertilizers has raised environmental concerns and highlighted the need for sustainable alternatives. This study aimed to (i) optimize the carrier-to-substrate ratios and moisture content during composting with potassium-solubilizing purple nonsulfur bacteria (K-PNSB) and (ii) evaluate the growth-promoting effect of the optimized biofertilizer on maize seedlings. Three K-PNSB strains (Cereibacter sphaeroides M-Sl-09, Rhodopseudomonas thermotolerans M-So-11, and Rhodopseudomonas palustris M-So-14) were used. Composting experiments were conducted using different carrier-to-substrate ratios and moisture levels with K-PNSB inoculation. Compost quality was assessed through nutrient dynamics, bacterial density, and physicochemical properties over four weeks. The results showed that the 1:1:3 substrate ratio combined with 50–60% moisture content consistently enhanced K solubilization, bacterial survival, and compost maturity indicators. Application of the optimized biofertilizer improved maize growth traits compared with the non-inoculated control. These findings demonstrate that controlling material ratios and moisture content improves compost quality and plant growth performance, providing a sustainable alternative to chemical fertilizers. This study provides a practical framework for developing sustainable K-solubilizing biofertilizers from agricultural residues.