Induced growth promotion and higher salt tolerance in the halophyte grass Puccinellia tenuiflora by beneficial rhizobacteria

Soil salinization limits conventional agriculture since most food-based plant cultivars require low soil-sodium (Na+) levels for robust growth. Moreover, modern agricultural practices, especially in arid environments, can exacerbate soil salinization as belowground water sources utilized in irrigation are frequently tainted with salt. While salt tolerance has previously been shown to be augmented in several glycophyte species by the soil bacterium Bacillus subtilis (GB03), here we reported that this beneficial rhizobacterium promotes growth and augments higher salt-tolerance in halophyte grass Puccinellia tenuiflora.