Work

Impact of hydrogel-based bioformulation of drought tolerant Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Bacillus cereus consortia for Iron and Zinc accumulation in Vigna unguiculata under water stress

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Drought stress severely constrains crop productivity in arid regions. This study developed a novel alginate-CMC hydrogel bioformulation (Ag-BPW), using fermented banana peel water as the aqueous phase, to enhance drought tolerance and micronutrient biofortification in cowpea beans. A consortium (CSM2) of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Bacillus cereus along with siderophore-rich cell-free supernatant (CFSS), was encapsulated within the hydrogel. CSM2 exhibited strong PGP traits, including ACC deaminase activity, phosphate solubilization, EPS synthesis, and IAA production, further enhanced under PEG-induced osmotic stress. Pot trials with Vigna unguiculata , under drought conditions showed the Ag-BPW bioformulation significantly improved seed germination (1.9-fold), plant length (74%), chlorophyll content (> 2-fold), and relative water content (30%) compared to untreated controls. Enzymatic antioxidant and non-enzymatic antioxidants were markedly elevated. Grain iron and zinc concentrations increased by ~ 66% and ~ 99.6%, respectively compared with control, under terminal drought. The Ag-BPW bioformulation represents a biodegradable, multi-functional approach that simultaneously mitigates drought stress and biofortifies legumes.

Source: Discover Plants.

DOI: 10.1007/s44372-026-00874-9

Authors: Shilpa Mishra, Dweipayan Goswami, Meenu Saraf

Institution: Gujarat University

Language: English

Topic: Plant-Microbe Interactions and Immunity

Subfield: Plant Science

Field: Agricultural and Biological Sciences

Domain: Life Sciences

SDG: Zero hunger

Open Access status: diamond

Funder: Department of Science and Technology, Ministry of Science and Technology, India