Plant growth-promoting bacteria and desert re-vegetation
Plant growth-promoting bacteria and desert re-vegetation
Plant growth-promoting bacteria and desert re-vegetation
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<strong>Plant</strong> <strong>growth</strong>-<strong>promoting</strong> <strong>bacteria</strong><br />
<strong>and</strong> <strong>desert</strong> <strong>re</strong>-<strong>vegetation</strong><br />
Yoav Bashan, Esther Puente, Gabor Bethlenfalvay,<br />
Ching Y. Li, Macario Bacilio, Angel E. Carrillo,<br />
Manuel Mo<strong>re</strong>no, Patricia Vazquez, Gina Holguin,<br />
<strong>and</strong> Luz E. de-Bashan<br />
Environmental Microbiology,<br />
Center for Biological Research of the Northwest,<br />
La Paz, Baja California Sur, Mexico, <strong>and</strong><br />
USDA Fo<strong>re</strong>st Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station,<br />
Corvallis, O<strong>re</strong>gon<br />
Palm Springs, March 3 - 7, 2003
THE GOAL<br />
EXTENDING THE POTENTIAL<br />
BENEFITS OF PLANT GROWTH -<br />
PROMOTING BACTERIA (PGPB)<br />
(Such as AZOSPIRILLUM AND OTHER BENEFICIAL<br />
MICROBES)<br />
FROM IMPROVING AGRICULTURAL<br />
PLANT YIELDS<br />
TO ENVIRONMENTAL SOLUTIONS.
DESERT REFORESTATION AIDED<br />
BY PLANT GROWTH-<br />
PROMOTING MICROORGANISMS<br />
THE GOAL : PREVENTING SOIL EROSION<br />
AND REDUCING DUST POLLUTION<br />
BENEFICIAL MICROBES : PGPBs AND<br />
MYCORRHIZAL FUNGI MAY AID IN<br />
REVEGETATION OF THE DESERT
A SCENARIO FOR AN<br />
ECOLOGICAL DISASTER IN<br />
THE DESERT –<br />
A TRUE STORY FROM<br />
NORTHWESTERN MEXICO
U N U DISTURBED DESERT OF THE<br />
FLATLANDS OF BAJA CALIFORNIA<br />
DIRT ROAD<br />
COMPLETE<br />
COVER<br />
OF SOIL BY LOW,<br />
DENSE<br />
VEGETATION
CLEAR-CUTTING OF GIANT CARDON CACTI TO MAKE<br />
1 m<br />
ROOM FOR AGRICULTURE IN BAJA CALIFORNIA<br />
Bashan et al. 2000.<br />
Natural A<strong>re</strong>as J.
THREE YEARS AFTER CLEAR-CUTTING OF CARDON<br />
ABANDONED RANCH
LONG-TERM DESERTIFICATION<br />
(ABOUT 20 YEARS AFTER CLEAR-CUTTING)<br />
UNDISTURBED AREA<br />
MOON-LIKE LANDSCAPE
TYPICAL SOIL EROSION ON MODERATE SLOPES<br />
AFTER OVER-GRAZING
DUST DEVILS FORMED ON ABANDONED<br />
LANDS DURING A DRY SUMMER
CITY OF LA PAZ. EARLY SUNDAY MORNING.<br />
NO DUST!
UNPAVED STREET. COMMON IN<br />
RURAL NORTHWESTERN MEXICO<br />
LA PAZ HAS OVER 200 km OF UNPAVED STREETS
DUST CLOUD ABOVE THE CITY OF LA PAZ<br />
ON A TYPICAL MORNING<br />
BAY OF LA PAZ<br />
(CITY ON FAR SHORE)
C H R O NIC RES PIR A T O R Y ILLNESSES IN<br />
BAJA CALIFORNIA SUR, MEXICO<br />
YEAR POPULATION AFFECTED (%)<br />
1992 32<br />
1995 31<br />
1997 33<br />
MOST SUFFERERS ARE CHILDREN (source: Ministry of Health)
Our proposal for an environmental solution<br />
Re-vegetate ab<strong>and</strong>oned agricultural l<strong>and</strong><br />
with cacti <strong>and</strong> <strong>desert</strong> t<strong>re</strong>es <strong>and</strong> control<br />
urban dust-c<strong>re</strong>ating a<strong>re</strong>as.<br />
For rural a<strong>re</strong>as, many cacti a<strong>re</strong><br />
excellent top-soil stabilizers
The advantages of<br />
arbo<strong>re</strong>scent cacti for<br />
<strong>re</strong>-<strong>vegetation</strong>…..<br />
• NUMEROUS!!!<br />
• So, if they a<strong>re</strong> such “d<strong>re</strong>am<br />
plants,” why haven’t they been<br />
used?
THE MAIN PROBLEMS OF USING CACTI ARE …<br />
• ALL ARE VERY SLOW<br />
GROWERS,<br />
•MANY HAVE POOR ABILITY,<br />
AS SEEDLINGS, TO BECOME<br />
ESTABLISHED<br />
THIS YOUNG CARDON IS<br />
O VE R 100 YEARS OLD … ..
Proposed solution<br />
Major issues in <strong>desert</strong> <strong>re</strong>fo<strong>re</strong>station<br />
How to establish a <strong>desert</strong> plant population<br />
How to inc<strong>re</strong>ase survival of plants after transferring<br />
them to the site<br />
How to enhance their <strong>growth</strong> <strong>re</strong>lative to the<br />
natural <strong>growth</strong> of <strong>vegetation</strong>
Possible microbial solutions?<br />
Artificial inoculation of <strong>desert</strong> plants with<br />
beneficial microorganism (<strong>bacteria</strong> <strong>and</strong><br />
mycorrhizae fungi, alone <strong>and</strong> mixed)<br />
Mimic typical <strong>vegetation</strong> <strong>re</strong>production patterns in<br />
the <strong>desert</strong> (nurse-t<strong>re</strong>e-microbial micro-ecosystem)
1 cm<br />
INO C U LATION OF CA R D O N<br />
CACTUS WITH Azospirillum<br />
UNINOCULATED<br />
Puente <strong>and</strong> Bashan, 1993. Symbiosis<br />
INOCULATED
EFFECT OF INOCULATION WITH AZOSPIRILLUM ON<br />
CARDON CACTUS GROWING IN SOILS OBTAINED<br />
FROM NATURAL, VEGETATED SITES<br />
% of control<br />
(<strong>growth</strong><br />
medium)<br />
250<br />
200<br />
150<br />
100<br />
50<br />
0<br />
Poor soil<br />
Rich soil<br />
Dry weight Root<br />
Length<br />
Carrillo-Garcia et al. 2000. Restoration Ecology
Inc<strong>re</strong>ase in the volume of cardon cactus,<br />
grown in an eroded a<strong>re</strong>a, <strong>and</strong> inoculated<br />
with Azospirillum brasilense<br />
Inc<strong>re</strong>ase in volume (%)<br />
35<br />
30<br />
25<br />
20<br />
15<br />
10<br />
5<br />
0<br />
1<br />
3<br />
5<br />
Inoculated<br />
Naturally grown<br />
Bashan et. al. 1999. Can. J. Microbiol.<br />
7<br />
Noninoculated<br />
9 13 17 21 25 29 33 37 41<br />
11 15 19 23 27 31 35 39<br />
Months
Inc<strong>re</strong>ase in proton extrusion from roots <strong>and</strong><br />
acidification of the rhizosphe<strong>re</strong> of inoculated cacti<br />
• Cacti inoculated with<br />
Azospirillum extrude<br />
mo<strong>re</strong> protons<br />
• The pH of the<br />
rhizosphe<strong>re</strong> is lower<br />
• Adsorption of<br />
minerals inc<strong>re</strong>ased<br />
{<br />
Rhizosphe<strong>re</strong> pH<br />
7.4<br />
7.3<br />
7.2<br />
7.1<br />
7<br />
6.9<br />
6.8<br />
Carrillo et al. Naturwissenshften, 2002<br />
Bulk soil<br />
Soil +<br />
ammonium<br />
Soil +<br />
Ammonium +<br />
Azospirillum
MG/KG SOIL<br />
1,400<br />
1,200<br />
1,000<br />
800<br />
600<br />
400<br />
200<br />
THE LEVELS OF N AND P<br />
IN THE REVEGETATION AREA<br />
0<br />
NITROGEN PHOSPHORUS<br />
UNDISTURBED<br />
BEFORE<br />
100<br />
After After<br />
MG/KG SOIL<br />
Bashan et al. Can. J. Microbiol. 1999<br />
80<br />
60<br />
40<br />
20<br />
0<br />
UNDISTURBED<br />
BEFORE
Log cfu/g (roots or soil)<br />
7<br />
6<br />
5<br />
4<br />
3<br />
2<br />
1<br />
SURVIVAL OF Azospirillum IN THE<br />
RHIZOSPHERE AND BULK SOIL OF<br />
REVEGETATED AREA OF CARDON CACTUS<br />
BULK<br />
SOIL<br />
RHIZOSPHERE<br />
SOIL<br />
0<br />
inoculation 1 month 6 months 12 months 24 months<br />
BASHAN ET AL. 1999. CAN J. MICROBIOL
SOIL EROSION (m3/ha)<br />
Soil erosion <strong>and</strong> soil <strong>re</strong>clamation<br />
with <strong>and</strong> without cactus cultivation<br />
Non-cactus cultivating a<strong>re</strong>a<br />
0<br />
-100<br />
-200<br />
-300<br />
-400<br />
-500<br />
-600<br />
0 1 1.5 2 3.5<br />
YEARS<br />
Bashan et. al. 1999<br />
SOIL ACCUMULATION (M3/HA)<br />
50<br />
40<br />
30<br />
20<br />
10<br />
CACTUS CULTIVATION<br />
0<br />
0 1 1.5 2 3.5<br />
YEARS
Distribution of small roots in the uppermost<br />
5 cm topsoil in rainy <strong>and</strong> dry seasons 2.5<br />
years after transplanting<br />
Soil surface<br />
Depth (cm)<br />
Pachyce<strong>re</strong>us<br />
pringlei<br />
Stenoce<strong>re</strong>us<br />
thurberi<br />
Lophoce<strong>re</strong>us<br />
schottii<br />
Rainy Dry Rainy Dry Rainy Dry Rainy<br />
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Bashan et al. Can. J. Microbiol. 1999<br />
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Distribution of small roots in the uppermost<br />
5 cm topsoil in rainy <strong>and</strong> dry seasons 2.5<br />
years after transplanting<br />
Soil surface<br />
Depth (cm)<br />
Pachyce<strong>re</strong>us<br />
pringlei<br />
Stenoce<strong>re</strong>us<br />
thurberi<br />
Lophoce<strong>re</strong>us<br />
schottii<br />
Rainy Dry Rainy Dry Rainy Dry Rainy<br />
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Bashan et al. Can. J. Microbiol. 1999<br />
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Distribution of small roots in the uppermost<br />
5 cm topsoil in rainy <strong>and</strong> dry seasons 2.5<br />
years after transplanting<br />
Soil surface<br />
Depth (cm)<br />
Pachyce<strong>re</strong>us<br />
pringlei<br />
Stenoce<strong>re</strong>us<br />
thurberi<br />
Lophoce<strong>re</strong>us<br />
schottii<br />
Rainy Dry Rainy Dry Rainy Dry Rainy<br />
. . .<br />
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Bashan et al. Can. J. Microbiol. 1999<br />
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DUST LAYER<br />
MECHANISM OF SOIL ACCUMULATION<br />
ASSOCIATED WITH CACTI<br />
AND THE CYCLE GOES ON……..<br />
Bashan et al., Can. J. Microbiol. 1999
CONCLUSIONS OF THIS STUDY<br />
Natural<br />
VS.<br />
Inoculated
What had happened to the<br />
What happened to the inoculated cacti?<br />
inculated cacti?<br />
Had a high survival rate<br />
Developed mo<strong>re</strong> rapidly<br />
Compa<strong>re</strong>d to: uninoculated control cacti <strong>and</strong><br />
natural <strong>vegetation</strong> during 3.5-years
What had happened to the<br />
What happened to the eroded urban soil?<br />
eroded urban soil?<br />
Soil erosion in the experimental<br />
a<strong>re</strong>a ceased.<br />
Small, but significant soil<br />
accumulation occur<strong>re</strong>d.
THE USE OF ENDOPHYTES FROM WILD<br />
PLANTS AS PLANT GROWTH<br />
PROMOTERS<br />
Accelerating c<strong>re</strong>ation of <strong>desert</strong> soil by<br />
microbes associated with plants?
CARDON CACTI GROWING IN ROCKS IN THE ABSENCE OF SOIL:<br />
AN EXAMPLE OF ROCK-WEATHERING PLANTS<br />
Bashan et al. <strong>Plant</strong> Biology. 2002<br />
0.5 M
MAMILARIA CACTI GROWING IN ROCKS IN THE ABSENCE OF SOIL:<br />
ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF ROCK-WEATHERING PLANTS<br />
SMALL MAMILARIA CACTI<br />
AT DENSITIES OF UP TO<br />
100 / SQUARE METER<br />
5 cm<br />
Bashan et al. <strong>Plant</strong> Biology. 2002
1 M<br />
WILD FIG TREES GROWING IN CLIFF: ANOTHER ROCK-WEATHERING PLANT<br />
Bashan et al. <strong>Plant</strong> Biology. 2002<br />
Roots<br />
Rocks<br />
1 M
YOUNG CARDON CACTUS<br />
GROWING IN A ROCK<br />
WITHOUT SOIL<br />
BROKEN ROCK<br />
ROOTS<br />
Bashan et al. <strong>Plant</strong> Biology. 2002
COLONIZATION OF ROOT SURFACE OF CARDON<br />
CACTUS GROWING IN ROCKS IN THE ABSENCE OF SOIL<br />
BACTERIA<br />
ROOT SURFACE<br />
PUENTE ET AL. 2003. <strong>Plant</strong> Biology (under consideration)
INTRACELLULAR COLONIZATION OF<br />
CARDON CACTUS ROOTS GROWING IN<br />
ROCKS WITHOUT SOIL<br />
CELL INTERIOR<br />
PUENTE ET AL. 2003. NATURE (UNDER CONSIDERATION)<br />
FLUORECESNCE<br />
ROOT
What kinds of microbial communities a<strong>re</strong> <strong>re</strong>siding<br />
on the roots of cacti growing in rocks?<br />
Nitrogen fixers<br />
Phosphate solubilizers<br />
<strong>Plant</strong> hormones producers?<br />
Rock <strong>and</strong> mineral dissolving <strong>bacteria</strong><br />
Mycorrhizae fungi?<br />
Fungi<br />
Actinomycetes<br />
Fluo<strong>re</strong>scent pseudomonades<br />
PUENTE ET AL. 2003. PLANT BIOLOGY
Inoculation of alder seedlings growing in<br />
(Li, unpublished)<br />
crushed basalt with Frankia<br />
(a nitrogen-fixing <strong>bacteria</strong>)<br />
Inoculated<br />
Uninoculated<br />
Inoculated<br />
Uninoculated
USING PGPBs FOR DESERT<br />
REFORESTATION –<br />
GENERAL CONCLUSIONS<br />
8 INOCULATION OF CACTI WITH BACTERIA<br />
CAN ENHANCE THEIR ESTABLISHMENT<br />
AND GROWTH IN DISTURBED AREAS<br />
AND CAN STABILIZE SOIL<br />
8 ENDOPHYTIC MICROBES SHOULD BE<br />
INCORPORATED INTO TESTS FOR<br />
PROMOTION OF GROWTH OF DESERT<br />
PLANTS
MESSAGE TO TAKE HOME<br />
THE USE OF PLANT GROWTH -<br />
PROMOTING MICROORGANISMS<br />
SHOULD BE EXTENDED<br />
FROM AGRICULTURAL TO<br />
ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS<br />
All published papers a<strong>re</strong> available as PDF files at:<br />
http://www.cibnor.org/grupo/gma/ipublica.php