Evaluation of the benefits of plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria and mycorrhizal fungi on biochemical and morphophysiological traits of Aloe barbadensis Mill under water deficit stress

Aloe barbadensis is a drought-tolerant perennial medicinal plant with both nutritional and cosmetic uses. Drought is one of the main abiotic stresses limiting plant growth and development. However, the use of drought-resistant plants combined with beneficial soil micro-organisms could improve the effectiveness of biological methods to mitigate drought damage. This research aims to evaluate the effects of Funneliformis mosseae (MF), plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) (including Pseudomonas putida and Pantoea agglomerans), and their co-inoculation on the macronutrient status, antioxidant enzyme activities, and other morphophysiological traits of A. barbadensis under four irrigation regimes [25%, 50%, 75% and 100% of water requirement (WR)]. Three harvests were conducted, revealing that inoculation enhanced the survival rate and shoot fresh weight (SFW) compared to the control plants. However, at 25% WR, the SFW was reduced by 43% more than the control. across all harvests, while the PGPR + MF treatment showed increases of more than 19%, 11%, and 17% compared to the control, MF, and PGPR treatments, respectively. The results also showed that A. barbadensis exhibited innate drought tolerance up to a 50% WR level by enhancing physiological defenses, such as antioxidant enzyme activity. Inoculation increased the macronutrient status of the plant at all levels of irrigation regimes especially under severe drought conditions. The highest levels of nitrogen (N) (16.24 mg g−1 DW) and phosphorus (P) (11.29 mg g−1 DW) were observed in the PGPR + MF treatment at 100% WR. The maximum relative water content under MF inoculation and 75% WR (98.24%) (98.24%) was reached. PGPR + MF treatment alleviated drought-induced osmotic stress, as indicated by reduced antioxidant enzyme activities and electrolyte leakage. However, P. putida and P. agglomerans strains alone or in combination with F. mosseae increased plant yield, macronutrient uptake and antioxidant enzyme activity. This study underscores the potential of these PGPR and MF strains as invaluable biological tools for the cultivation of A. barbadensis in regions with severe drought stress.