Pseudomonas as Plant Growth-Promoting Bacteria and Its Role in Alleviation of Abiotic Stress

Abiotic stresses are supposed to negate crop productivity leading to food insecurity. Plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) can significantly facilitate plant growth directly or indirectly by suppressing various plant pathogens, producing different phytohormones, mineralization and decomposition of organic matter, triggering antioxidant system, producing siderophores, and improving the bioavailability of different mineral nutrients. Among the PGPRs, Pseudomonas are ubiquitous and their occurrence in stressed environment has also been reported. Pseudomonas can produce different enzymes and metabolites that help plants withstand varied biotic and abiotic stresses. Pseudomonas-induced salt or drought tolerance has extensively studied at the physiological and biochemical levels in plants. The potential of Pseudomonas has also been explored under some other abiotic stress factors like water, temperature, nutrients, and heavy metals. Furthermore, in this chapter, we will elaborate the interactions among plant, Pseudomonas spp., and various abiotic environmental stresses with an objective to explore the underlying mechanisms and stress tolerance in plants as promises of Pseudomonas.