Bioprospecção de bactérias promotoras de crescimento vegetal isoladas do alimento larval de abelhas sem ferrão

Abstract

The growing demand for sustainable agricultural practices has driven the search for alternatives to chemical fertilizers, including biofertilizers based on plant growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB). PGPB can be used in agriculture to enhance productivity and sustainability and can be applied at various stages of cultivation, such as seed, seedling, and cutting treatment, incorporation into the planting substrate, or aerial spraying on plants. The aim of this study was to identify and evaluate bacteria present in the larval food of stingless bees of the species Melipona scutellaris and Melipona quadrifasciata, with the potential to stimulate plant growth. Qualitative tests were conducted to assess these microorganisms' ability to store nitrogen and solubilize potassium and phosphate using 11 reactivated bacterial strains coded by the collection: MS09, MS55, MS11, MS29, MS19C, MQ27, MQ1B, MQ54B, MQ1A, MQ07, MQ20, and MQ47, belonging to the Microorganism Collection Isolated from Bees at the Federal University of Uberlândia (CoMISBee). The results showed that three isolates (MQ07, MS19C, and MS55) exhibited potential for nitrogen fixation, while three strains (MQ54B, MQ47, and MS11) demonstrated the ability to solubilize potassium, and seven strains (MS55, MS29, MQ47, MS19C, MQ07, MQ1B, and MQ27) efficiently solubilized phosphate. These characteristics indicate that the isolated bacteria can promote plant growth by increasing the availability of essential nutrients to plants and reducing the need for synthetic fertilizers. It is possible to conclude that the application of PGPB can be a viable strategy to promote soil fertility and sustainably increase agricultural productivity. These findings underscore the relevance of microbial bioprospecting as a tool for developing more ecological agricultural practices, while also providing a basis for future studies on the practical application of these bacteria in the field.