Auxin-producing bacteria inhabit the roots of orchids and can bring benefits to the host plant. Plants of this family are multiplied by in vitro assimbiotic conditions and little is known about the role of these microorganisms for ex vitro acclimatization. Four auxin-producing rhizobacteria isolated from the specie Cattleya walkeriana were evaluated for their ability to promote survival and growth of in vitro germinated plantlets during ex vitro acclimatization. Partial sequencing of the 16S rRNA genes of bacteria cultures from root velamen of this epiphytic species identified them as Bacillus, Burkholderia, Enterobacter and Curtobacterium. The presence of indole compounds in the filtered supernatants of liquid cultures was quantified by colorimetric assay and confirmed by HPLC. Indole-3-lactic acid (ILA) and indole-3-acetaldehyde (IAAld) were present in high quantities, except in Enterobacter sp. cultures, where in indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) and indole-3-pyruvic acid (IPA) were more prevalent. These rhizobacteria were inoculated into asymbiotically-germinated plantlets of the host orchid, acclimatized in greenhouse for 90 days and assessed for their growth-promoting ability. The lowest ability to promote growth was observed for Burkholderia sp. and Curtobacterium sp., while Bacillus sp. and Enterobacter sp. improved growth in all evaluated characteristics and increased the percentage of plantlet survival. This study highlights the role of auxin-producing rhizobacteria and their benefits for growth promotion of a Brazilian orchid germinated in asymbiotic conditions, during acclimatization, when plant mortality is high, limiting orchid propagation.
plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria; indolic compounds; Orchidaceae
