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Plant-Growth-Promoting Rhizobacteria as a Sustainable Strategy for Enhancing Quinoa Resilience to Salt Stress in Arid Regions

Author

Listed:
  • Fahad N. Al-Barakaha

    (Department of Soil Sciences, College of Food and Agriculture Sciences, King Saud University, P.O. Box 2460, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia)

  • Abdulaziz G. Alghamdi

    (Department of Soil Sciences, College of Food and Agriculture Sciences, King Saud University, P.O. Box 2460, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia)

Abstract

Soil salinity and water scarcity are major challenges limiting agricultural productivity in arid and semi-arid regions. Quinoa (a climate-resilient crop) offers potential for sustainable food production under these harsh conditions; however, its growth and yield are often constrained by salt and water stress. This study evaluated the role of plant-growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) in enhancing Chenopodium quinoa Willd performance under deficit irrigation (DI) with saline water. A greenhouse pot experiment was conducted with four irrigation levels (40%, 60%, 80%, and 100% of the growth water requirement, GWR) and two water qualities (fresh water, EC = 0.8 dS m −1 ; and saline water, EC = 6.0 dS m −1 ), each tested with and without PGPR inoculation. The results showed that PGPR application significantly ( p < 0.05) improved quinoa tolerance to salinity, leading to higher biomass, yield, and crop water productivity (CWP) under saline irrigation. Yield reductions were most severe at 40% GWR (53.9% and 82.6% under saline and fresh water, respectively), but PGPR inoculation mitigated yield losses, with increases of 83.3% and 130.8% under 40% and 100% GWR saline irrigation, respectively. Notably, PGPR did not show a clear effect with freshwater irrigation. In addition, inoculated plants exhibited improved nutrient uptake and reduced heavy metal accumulation. Overall, PGPR demonstrated strong potential to enhance salinity resilience and water-use efficiency in quinoa. Future studies should extend these findings under field conditions and investigate the long-term impacts of PGPR on sustainable crop production in saline- and water-limited environments.

Suggested Citation

  • Fahad N. Al-Barakaha & Abdulaziz G. Alghamdi, 2025. "Plant-Growth-Promoting Rhizobacteria as a Sustainable Strategy for Enhancing Quinoa Resilience to Salt Stress in Arid Regions," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(20), pages 1-17, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:17:y:2025:i:20:p:9048-:d:1769797
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    2. Zhang, Yongqiang & Kendy, Eloise & Qiang, Yu & Changming, Liu & Yanjun, Shen & Hongyong, Sun, 2004. "Effect of soil water deficit on evapotranspiration, crop yield, and water use efficiency in the North China Plain," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 64(2), pages 107-122, January.
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