Plant-growth promoting traits of bacterial strains isolated from button mushroom (Agaricus bisporus) media

A diverse group of plant-growth promoting bacteria were isolated in button mushroom (Agaricus bisporus) media to investigate the plant-growth promoting traits of compounds including indole acetic acid (IAA), ammonia, 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid deaminase, siderophore, and hydrogen cyanide. Twenty-one bacterial strains showing positive effects for all the test traits were selected and classified to confirm bacterial diversity in the media habitat. Plant-growth promoting traits of the isolates were also assessed. All strains produced IAA ranging from 20 ㎍/mL to 250 ㎍/mL. Most of the isolates produced more than 80% siderophore. Four strains (Pantoea sp., PSB-08, Bacillus sp., PSB-13, Pseudomonas sp., PSB-17, and Enterobacter sp., PSB-21) showed outstanding performances for all the tested traits. In a bioassay of these four strains using mung bean plant, the best growth performances (23.16 cm, 22.98 cm, 2.27 g/plant, and 1.83 g/plant for shoot length, root length, shoot dry weight, and root dry weight, respectively) were obtained from the plants co-inoculated with Bacillus sp., PSB-13. The resultant data indicate that button mushroom media have got a diverse group of bacteria with plant growth promoting abilities. Thus, the media could be a good recycling resource for using to an effective bio-fertilizer.