The importance, role and promise of endophytic bacteria in horticulture

Abstract

The article highlights current research that discusses the importance, role and application potential of endophytic bacteria in industrial horticulture. A review of national and foreign publications on the prevalence, taxonomic composition and function of endophytic bacteria in agricultural and horticultural plant objects is presented. Key endophytic bacterial phyla and genera associated with agricultural plants have been previously characterised. The authors consider the main plant organs and tissues that harbour endophytic bacteria, routes of bacterial colonisation and host-to-host transmission, endophyte relationships with the host species, as well as the genotype, seasonal period, environment, taxonomic and varietal composition of host plants. The host-microbiome relationship is intimate and mutually beneficial. Endophytic bacteria positively impact organogenesis and embryogenesis in agricultural plants, transforming phosphorus and atmospheric nitrogen into plant-absorbable forms and producing hormones that stimulate plant growth. Endophytic flora are able to produce vitamins, siderophores, phytohormones, antibiotic like-substances and phytopathogen-antagonistic exoenzymes, which play a role in enhancing a plant’s resistance to disease and stress, while simultaneously increasing its yield. Current evidence indicates the ability of endophytic bacteria isolated from garden crops to produce indolyl acetic acid, solubilise phosphates, potentially stimulate plant growth and suppress antagonistic phytopathogens. Endophytic bacteria are important regulators of growth, development and fruiting in garden crops, sustaining their reproduction and thus having a strong potential for use in biopreparations in industrial horticulture.