Screening of Multi-Trait Rhizobacteria for Improving the Growth, Enzyme Activities, and Nutrient Uptake of Tea (Camellia sinensis)

The use of plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) as agricultural inputs for increasing crop production needs the selection of efficient bacteria with plant growth-promoting (PGP) attributes. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of 20 multi-traits bacteria on tea growth, nutrient uptake, chlorophyll contents, and enzyme activities under field conditions for over 3years. These isolates were screened in vitro for their PGP traits such as the production of indole acetic acid (IAA), nitrogenase activity, phosphorus (P) solubilization, and 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate (ACC) deaminase activity. Screening of rhizobacteria that show multiple PGP traits suggests that they stimulated overall plant growth, including shoot development and leaf yield, improving macro- and micro-nutrient uptake, chlorophyll contents, and activities of enzymes of tea plant. Use of strains with multiple PGP traits could be a more effective approach and have great potential for the environmentally-friendly tea production.