Enhancing Drought Tolerance in Paspalum vaginatum Through Rhizobacteria Inoculation Under Variable Irrigation Regimes

Ramadan, Mona; Hassan, Fahmy; Fetouh, Mohammed Ibrahim; Selim, Rasha

doi:10.21608/jsaes.2025.425331.1181

Enhancing Drought Tolerance in Paspalum vaginatum Through Rhizobacteria Inoculation Under Variable Irrigation Regimes

Document Type : Original research paper

Authors

¹ Horticulture Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Tanta University, Tanta, Egypt

² Horticulture Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Tanta University

³ Department of horticulture, Faculty of Agriculture, Tanta University, Egypt

10.21608/jsaes.2025.425331.1181

Abstract

The ongoing depletion of global freshwater resources has intensified the need for sustainable irrigation strategies, particularly in semi-arid regions such as the southern Mediterranean. This study investigated the drought tolerance of Paspalum vaginatum under varying irrigation frequencies and assessed the effectiveness of plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) in enhancing plant performance under water deficit conditions. The experiment was conducted over two consecutive years (2020–2021), using six treatments arranged in a factorial design: two main groups (with and without PGPR inoculation), each subdivided into three irrigation intervals (every 2, 6, and 10 days). Prolonged irrigation intervals simulated increasing levels of drought stress, which significantly reduced fresh and dry shoot weights, relative water content, chlorophyll and carotenoid concentrations, and the uptake of essential nutrients including nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. Inoculation with a PGPR consortium—comprising Azotobacter spp., Bacillus spp., Pseudomonas fluorescens, and Bacillus circulans/megaterium—led to notable improvements in plant growth and physiological attributes under drought stress. PGPR-treated plants demonstrated higher biomass and increased pigment levels. Moreover, inoculation contributed to better osmotic regulation and more balanced nutrient uptake compared to non-inoculated controls. These findings suggest that PGPR applications can effectively mitigate the negative impacts of drought stress in Paspalum vaginatum, offering a promising biological tool for improving turfgrass resilience and reducing irrigation demands in water-limited environments.

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