Sustainable Tea Cultivation with a Rhizobacterial Consortium: A Microbiome-Driven Alternative to Chemical Fertilizers.

ABSTRACT: The excessive use of chemical fertilizers in tea cultivation threatens soil health, environmental sustainability, and long-term crop productivity. This study explores the application of plant growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB) as an eco-friendly alternative to conventional fertilizers. A bacterial consortium was developed using selected rhizobacterial isolates-Lysinibacillus fusiformis, five strains of Serratia marcescens, and two Bacillus spp.-based on their phosphate and zinc solubilization abilities and production of ACC deaminase, indole-3-acetic acid, and siderophores. The consortium was tested in both pot and field conditions using two tea clones, S3A3 and TS491, and compared with a chemical fertilizer treatment. Plants treated with the consortium showed enhanced g

SUBMITTER: Sorongpong S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12388101 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature