Characterization of plant growth-promoting Bacillus edaphicus NBT and its effect on lead uptake by Indian mustard in a lead-amended soil

The plant growth promotion characteristics of a heavy-metal-resistant strain of Bacillus edaphicus NBT was characterized. The strain was also evaluated for promoting plant growth and lead (Pb) uptake of Brassica juncea L. Czern (Indian mustard) in soil artificially contaminated with 0, 400, and 800 mg Pb center dot kg(-1) soil. Atomic absorption spectrometer analysis demonstrated that strain NBT could release water-soluble Pb from lead carbonate in the solution. Strain NBT had the capacity to produce indole acetic acid, siderophores, and 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate deaminase. Low and high Pb treatments significantly decreased the growth of Indian mustard. Inoculation with strain NBT was found to increase root dry mass (ranging from 16% to 22%) and above-ground tissue dry mass (ranging from 24% to 30%) of Indian mustard in the Pb-amended soil. Strain NBT was able to mobilize Pb efficiently in plants in Pb-amended soil. In the soil treated with 400 and 800 mg Pb center dot kg(-1) soil, the increase in Pb uptake varied from 18% to 46% in live bacterium-inoculated Indian mustard plants compared with dead bacterium-inoculated control. The strain was also able to colonize and develop in the rhizosphere soil of Indian mustard after root inoculation.