Epiphytic Bacteria and Their Uses in Sustainable Agriculture: A Review

Rishabh Sekhar Aachath¹and Zeenat Hussain Rupawalla^2*

¹School of Agriculture, Food and Wine, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia

²Department of Agriculture and Technology, AgTech Solutions, Mumbai, India.

Corresponding Author E-mail: zhrupawalla@gmail.com

DOI : http://dx.doi.org/10.12944/CARJ.13.1.04

Article Publishing History

Received: 04 Feb 2025
Accepted: 04 Mar 2025
Published Online: 29 Apr 2025

Review Details

Reviewed by: Dr. Hayyawi Aljutheri
Second Review by: Dr. Abdal Ahmed
Final Approval by: Dr. Surendra Singh Bargali

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Abstract:

Agriculture plays a pivotal role in the Indian economy, contributing to ~ 17% of the total GDP, providing employment to ~58% of the population. With a growing population of over 8 billion people, demand for food is rising. This demand for food needs to be mandated with restrictions to safely operate within the planetary boundaries (i.e., biogeochemical flows, land-system change, freshwater-use and ocean acidification). This can be achieved by using biological plant growth promoting agents as natural alternatives. Epiphytic bacteria harboured by surfaces of plants such as leaves, stems and roots show a potential in sustainable agriculture. They have the potential to gradually replace chemical fertilisers due to their ability to promote plant growth through phytohormones and suppress phytopathogens. They do this through mechanisms such as competitive exclusion and nutrient solubilisation, as discussed in this review. Epiphytic bacteria can solubilise essential nutrients such as zinc, potassium and phosphorus making them bioavailable to plants. Certain bacterial species can fix nitrogen from the atmosphere, which provide additional symbiotic benefits to plants. Additionally, epiphytic bacteria can produce some phytohormones like auxin, cytokinin and gibberellin which the plant use for growth and development. They also secrete antimicrobial compounds making them less susceptible to disease causing pathogens. However, some species of epiphytic bacteria can be harmful to plants and therefore their pathogenicity could be used to produce biological herbicides providing natural alternatives. These bacteria can also be used in bioremediation methods to prevent eutrophication. Despite their promising potential, further research is required to understand the underlying pathology and mechanism by which they offer plant promoting benefits. Identifying specific environmental conditions, crop / soil types where these bacteria can operate at optimal capacity needs to be investigated.

Keywords:

Epiphytic bacteria; Microbiome; Phytohormone; Plant growth promoters; Sustainable agriculture

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