Plant growth promoting effects of Alcaligenes 637Ca, Staphylococcus MFDCa-1, MFDCa-2, Agrobacterium A18, Pantoea FF1 and Bacillus M3 were tested on strawberry cv. ‘Aromas’ based on yield, number, and weight of fruit, leaf area, vitamin C, total soluble solids (TSS), acidity and ionic composition of leaves under calcareous soil conditions. The results demonstrated that all of bacterial treatments significantly affected all parameters tested. The best result was obtained from 637Ca treatment, which significantly increased fruit yield, number and weight about 47.5, 34.7, and 9.4%, respectively, compared to control. Except for magnesium (Mg) and zinc (Zn) in the leaf, the concentrations of all plant tissue nutrients [nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), calcium (Ca), iron (Fe), copper (Cu), manganese (Mn), boron (B)] were significantly increased by bacterial treatments tested. The data in the present study showed that all bacterial treatments including Alcaligenes 637Ca, Staphylococcus MFDCa-1, MFDCa-2, Agrobacterium A18, Pantoea FF1, and Bacillus M3 to strawberry plants can ameliorative the deleterious effect of high lime on fruit yield, growth and nutrition. These results suggested that plant growth-promoting Rhizobacteria (PGPR) treatments could be offer an economic and simple means to increased plant resistance for high calcareous soil conditions.

The effects of Alcaligenes 637Ca, Agrobacterium A18, Staphylococcus MFDCa1, MFDCa2, Bacillus M3 and Pantoea FF1 were tested on peach cv. ‘Elegant Lady’ on GF677 and Nemaguard rootstocks. Average increases in citric, malic, oxalic, butyric and fumaric acid in the leaf were obtained from rhizobacterial root inoculations of 33.1, 17.5, 21.7, 26.5, and 44.7% in Elegant Lady/Nemaguard, respectively. FF1 showed the highest FC-R activity in the roots of Nemaguard (112.4 nmol FW gr⁻¹ hr⁻²) and GF677 (162 nmol FW gr⁻¹ hr⁻²). The highest FC-R activity in the leaf was with MFDCa2 in Elegant Lady/Nemaguard (57.1 nmol FW gr⁻¹ hr⁻²) and 637Ca in Elegant Lady/GF677 (87.9 nmol FW gr⁻¹ hr⁻²). PGPR strains used in this study expressed increased leaf organic acid content, FC-R activity in the roots and leaf, increased active Fe content in the leaf, and possessed a great potential for the improvement of iron availability to plants.

This study was conducted on summer apple ( Malus domestica ) trees growing wild in the Çoruh Valley, north‐eastern Anatolia, Turkey. The research material consisted of uncultivated summer apple trees. Out of 250,10 trees not infected by apple scab ( Venturia ineaqualis ) were selected. Fruit characteristics of these superior types were evaluated. The ranges of fruit characteristics determined for the selected types were: 49.5–152.2 g fruit weight, 42.8–65.3 mm fruit length, 52.3–75.7 mm fruit width, 10.3–13.8% total soluble solids, 4.88–7.44 mg vitamin C/100 g, 0.19–1.43% total acidity (as malic acid), 9.33–12.06% total sugar, and 6.31–8.94% reducing sugar. Some selections ripening in mid July should be compared with common summer apple cultivars for their agronomic characteristics or used as breeding partners for further breeding efforts.

The effects of Kocuria E43, Alcaligenes 637Ca and Pseudomonas 53/6 on combined lime and salinity stress in the soil were evaluated on strawberry cv. ‘Sweet Ann’. The results of the experiment showed that yield, average number and weight of fruit, leaf area, nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), calcium (Ca) and magnesium (Mg) and sodium (Na) content of leaves, SPAD, stomatal conductance, membrane stability, protein and proline contents, hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) and malondialdehyde (MDA) contents and catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and ascorbate peroxidase (APX) activity were considerably affected by rhizobacterial inoculations in strawberry plants. There was a remarkable enhancement in fruit weight, number and yield, leaf area, macro elements contents of leaves, SPAD, stomatal conductance, protein and proline contents and CAT, SOD and APX activity. On the other hand, the sodium content of leaves, membrane permeability, H₂O₂ and MDA contents were considerably reduced by rhizobacterial treatment. The 637Ca had the highest yield per plant (120.4 g), while the lowest value was found in the control (89.9 g). Average increases in N, P and Ca contents in the leaf were obtained from rhizobacterial root inoculations of 16%, 35% and 32%, respectively. The lowest stomatal conductance was found in the control (67 mmol/m²s), while E43 + 53/6 had the highest (384 mmol/m²s). The highest CAT, SOD and APX activity were obtained from 637Ca + 53/6 (563 µmol min⁻¹mg⁻¹ FW), E43 + 637Ca + 53/6 (399 µmol min⁻¹mg⁻¹ FW) and E43 + 637Ca (31.91 µmol min⁻¹mg⁻¹ FW), respectively. These results suggested that the 637Ca, E43 + 53/6 and E43 + 637Ca + 53/6 treatments may be effective in reducing the negative impacts of combined salinity and high calcareous in soil.