Investigating marine Bacillus as an effective growth promoter for chickpea

BACKGROUND: Microorganisms have characteristics that aid plant growth and raise the level of vital metabolites in plants for better growth including primary and secondary metabolites as well as several developmental enzymes. Marine bacteria must endure harsh environmental circumstances for their survival so it produces several secondary metabolites to protect themselves. Such metabolites might likewise be advantageous for a plant’s growth. However, the effectiveness of marine microbes on plant growth remains unexplored. In the present study, we aim to evaluate such marine microbe both in vitro and in vivo as a plant growth promoter. RESULT: Marine Bacillus licheniformis was found positive for vital plant growth-promoting traits like gibberellin and ammonia production, phosphate and potassium solubilization in vitro. Due to the presence of such traits, it was able to increase germination in chickpea. As it can colonize with the roots, it will be able to help plants absorb more nutrients. Additionally, in vivo study shows that B. licheniformis treatment caused rise in vital factors involved in plant growth and development like chlorophyll, POX, phenol, proline, carotenoid, flavonoid, total proteins and SOD which resulted in increase of chickpea height by 26.23% and increase in biomass by 33.85% in pot trials. CONCLUSION: Marine B. licheniformis was able to promote plant growth and increased chickpea production in both number and weight for both in vitro and in vivo conditions. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s43141-023-00608-4.