Effect of the inoculation of plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria on the photosynthetic characteristics of Sambucus williamsii Hance container seedlings under drought stress

Plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) are beneficial bacteria that survive within the range of plant rhizosphere and can promote plant growth. The effects of PGPR in promoting plant growth, activating soil nutrients, reducing fertilizer application, and improving the resistance of plant inducible system have been widely investigated. However, few studies have investigated PGPR as elicitors of tolerance to abiotic stresses, especially drought stress. In this study, the effects of Acinetobacter calcoaceticus X128 on the photosynthetic rate (Pn), stomatal conductance (Gs), intracellular CO2 concentration (Ci), and total chlorophyll content [Chl(a+b)] of Sambucus williamsii Hance seedling leaves under moderate drought stress and drought-rewatering conditions were determined. Compared with those of uninoculated seedlings, the average Pn values during the entire drought stress of inoculated seedlings increased by 12.99%. As the drought duration was lengthened, Ci of uninoculated leaves continued to increase after rapidly declining, whereas Gs continuously decreased. Furthermore, their photosynthetic properties were simultaneously restricted by stomatal and non-stomatal factors. After X128 inoculation, Ci and Gs of S. williamsii Hance leaves continued to decrease, and their photosynthetic properties were mainly restricted by stomatal factors. At the end of the drought stress, water stress reduced [Chl(a + b)] of S. williamsii Hance leaves by 13.49%. However, X128 inoculation decreased this deficit to only 7.39%. After water supply was recovered, Pn, Gs, and [Chl(a+b)] in uninoculated leaves were reduced by 14.23%, 12.02%, and 5.86%, respectively, relative to those under well-watered conditions. However, Ci increased by 6.48%. Compared with those of uninoculated seedlings, Pn, Gs, and [Chl(a+b)] in X128-inoculated seedlings were increased by 9.83%, 9.30%, and 6.85%, respectively. Therefore, the inoculation of X128 under arid environments can mitigate the reduction of chlorophyll, delay the restriction caused by non-stomatal factors to Pn in plant leaves under water stress, and can be more conducive to the recovery of photosynthetic functions of leaves after water supply is recovered.