Plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) are known to improve plant performance by multiple mechanisms, such as the production of beneficial hormones, the enhancement of plant nutritional status, and the reduction of the stress-related damage. The interaction between plants and PGPR becomes of particular interest in environments that are characterized by suboptimal growing conditions, e.g., high or low temperatures, drought, soil salinity, and nutrient scarcity. The positive role of PGPR will become even more appealing in the future, as world agriculture is facing issues as climate change and soil degradation. This chapter aims to discuss the main mechanisms of the interaction between PGPR and plants and will focus of how PGPR can decrease abiotic stress damage in cereals, which are critical crops for human diet.
Part of the book: Root Biology