Simply Versatile: The Use of Peribacillus simplex in Sustainable Agriculture

Abstract

Peribacillus simplex is a Gram-positive, spore-forming bacterium derived from a vast range of different origins. Notably, it is part of the plant-growth-promoting rhizobacterial community of many crops. Although members of the Bacillaceae family have been widely used in agriculture, P. simplex has, so far, remained in the shadow of its more famous relatives, e.g., Bacillus subtilis or Bacillus thuringiensis. Recent studies have, however, started to uncover the bacterium’s highly promising and versatile properties, in particular in agricultural and environmental applications. Hence, here, we review the plant-growth-promoting features of P. simplex, as well as its biocontrol activity against a variety of detrimental plant pests in different crops. We further highlight the bacterium’s potential as a bioremediation agent for environmental contaminants, such as metals, pesticide residues, or (crude) oil. Finally, we examine the recent developments in the European regulatory landscape to facilitate the use of microorganisms in plant protection products. Undoubtedly, further studies on P. simplex will reveal additional benefits for agricultural and environmentally friendly applications.

Identification of culturable bacteria associated with the rhizosphere of Lablab purpureus growing in Namibia

“…Flavobacterium was isolated from wild legume nodules (Cardoso et al, 2018). Furthermore, Peribacillus has been isolated from soybean roots and the rhizosphere of pepper (Manetsberger et al, 2023;Song et al, 2020). The clusters with bootstrap values between 70-100% were found to be of the genera Agrobacterium, Pseudomonas, Sphingobacterium, Stutzerimonas, Planococcus, Bhargavaeae, Rhizobium, Caulobacter, Sphingobium, Psychrobacter, Enterobacter, Acidovorax, Stenotrophomonas, Sinorhizobium, Microbacterium, Athrobacter, and Priestia.…”