Bacillus subtilis can promote cotton phenotype, yield, nutrient uptake and water use efficiency under drought stress by optimizing rhizosphere microbial community in arid area

Drought severely impacts crop productivity and fertilizer efficiency in arid regions, hindering sustainable agriculture. Enhancing plant drought tolerance and fertilizer efficiency is crucial for adaptation. Bacillus subtilis can improve soil structure and rhizosphere activity, boosting nitrogen utilization and crop yields. This study investigates Bacillus subtilis' potential to mitigate drought stress and enhance cotton growth, aiming to establish a water-bacteria interaction-based irrigation model. Cotton (Tahe 2), the popular variety in local, was selected as the experimental crop, and planted in test pits (3.3 m×2 m×3 m) under varying Bacillus subtilis rates (0 kg·ha⁻¹ and 45 kg·ha⁻¹) and drought stress…

• NN
  National Natural Science Foundation of China

  Awards: BHT/0869, 2023A02002\u20132, 41977007, 52222903, 52409067
• XU
  Xi'an University of Technology