The development of sustainable microbial inoculants for crop production requires strains with demonstrated plant growth-promoting performance and well-characterized functional potential. This study evaluated the effect of Priestia sp. RMT2NF4, isolated from the rice rhizosphere, on sweet corn (Zea mays L.) seed physiological quality and early seedling vigor, supported by whole-genome sequencing analysis. Seed treatment effects were evaluated using a between-paper germination assay under controlled conditions at 25 °C for 7 days. Seed treatment with RMT2NF4 significantly increased germination percentage, germination index, and seedling growth rate by 13.26%, 21.30%, and 23.71%, respectively (p < 0.05). Inoculated seedlings also exhibited significantly greater shoot length, while root length and abnormal seedling proportion showed numerical but non-significant improvements. Genomic analysis identified genes putatively associated with tryptophan biosynthesis, nutrient acquisition, and stress adaptation. The integration of phenotypic validation and genome-informed functional profiling highlights the potential of RMT2NF4 and provides a basis for further evaluation of RMT2NF4 as a candidate plant growth-promoting bacterium to support sustainable sweet corn production and reduce reliance on chemical inputs.

In this study, we report the draft genome sequence data of Methylobacterium sp. 37f, isolated from soil beneath Quercus semiserrata Roxb. in Thailand. The genome consists of 5,305,449 base pairs, with a GC content of 67.5%.

Isoprene, a biogenic volatile compound emitted largely by plants, can form greenhouse gases when it reacts with atmospheric radicals. A significant amount of isoprene is absorbed into soil and can be degraded by soil microorganisms, but our understanding of the microbial biodegradation of isoprene in tropical ecosystems remains limited. This study investigated isoprene degradation by soil microbes indigenous to a tropical evergreen forest, focusing on those associated with coffee and tea plants grown as integrated crops and their genome characteristics in relation to their biodegradation capabilities. Following a 96-hour incubation with 7.2 × 10⁵ parts per billion by volume (ppbv) of isoprene, soil samples exhibited degradation levels ranging from 11.95 % to 36.54 %. From these soils, bacterial isolates belonging to the genera Rhodococcus and Gordonia (Actinomycetota) were recovered. These isolates demonstrated high isoprene biodegradation activity (50.3 %-69.1 % over seven days) and carried the isoA gene associated with isoprene metabolism. According to genome analysis, the organization of genes in the iso cluster was homologous, and the encoded amino acid sequences were highly similar to those of previously known isoprene-degrading members of the same genera. These findings emphasized the contribution of these widespread isoprene-degrading bacterial genera in the biodegradation of isoprene and the role of their isoprene monooxygenases in modulating atmospheric isoprene flux.