Bacillus spp. mitigate drought and dust stress in Camelina sativa by enhancing physiological resilience and nutrient acquisition

  • JCR分区:

    影响因子:

  • This study evaluated the efficacy of two plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria, Bacillus amyloliquefaciens and B. halotolerans, in alleviating the combined effects of drought and atmospheric dust stress on Camelina sativa L. under realistic field conditions in an arid region. A comprehensive factorial experiment arranged in a randomized complete block design implemented three irrigation intervals (4, 6, and 8 days) and two dust application levels, alongside treatments including control, individual bacterial inoculations, and a combined consortium. The research conclusively demonstrated that the simultaneous application of drought and dust stress was significantly more detrimental than each stressor applied in isolation. This synergistic stress combination severely reduced key indicators including nitrogen and phosphorus uptake, chlorophyll b content, final seed weight per plant, and root and shoot dry biomass, while concurrently increasing calcium concentration, soluble sugars, and carotenoid levels. Drought stress alone notably reduced seed yield and elevated phenolic compounds, whereas dust singularly increased chlorophyll b content without affecting phenols or yield. Crucially, inoculation with both bacterial strains, most notably with B. halotolerans individually, markedly improved the majority of physiological, nutritional, and functional traits, effectively enhancing overall plant resilience.