Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39487290›Full record

ArticleScientific reports2024

Prospects of iron solubilizing Bacillus species for improving growth and iron in maize (Zea mays L.) under axenic conditions.

Sammia Ghazanfar, Azhar Hussain, Abubakar Dar, Maqshoof Ahmad, Hammad Anwar, Dunia A Al Farraj, Muhammad Rizwan, Rashid Iqbal

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Scientific reports, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

5 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Increased Drought Stress Tolerance in Maize Seeds byPlants (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026
    Article
  3. Article
  4. Article
  5. Exploring the potential of zinc-solubilizingFrontiers in microbiology · 2025
    Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Sammia GhazanfarDepartment of Soil Science, The Islamia University of Bahawalpur, Bahawalpur, 63100, Pakistan.
Azhar HussainDepartment of Soil Science, The Islamia University of Bahawalpur, Bahawalpur, 63100, Pakistan. azharhaseen@gmail.com.
Abubakar DarDepartment of Soil Science, The Islamia University of Bahawalpur, Bahawalpur, 63100, Pakistan.
Maqshoof AhmadDepartment of Soil Science, The Islamia University of Bahawalpur, Bahawalpur, 63100, Pakistan.
Hammad AnwarDepartment of Soil Science, The Islamia University of Bahawalpur, Bahawalpur, 63100, Pakistan.
Dunia A Al FarrajDepartment of Botany and Microbiology, College of Science, King Saud University, 11451, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Muhammad RizwanInstitute of Crop Science and Resource Conservation (INRES), University of Bonn, 53115, Bonn, Germany. m.rizwan@uni-bonn.de.
Rashid IqbalDepartment of Agronomy, The Islamia University of Bahawalpur, Bahawalpur, 63100, Pakistan. rashid.iqbal@iub.edu.pk.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Iron (Fe) deficiency in calcareous soils is a significant agricultural challenge, affecting crop productivity and nutritional quality. This study aimed to isolate, characterize, and evaluate Fe solubilizing rhizobacterial isolates from maize rhizosphere in calcareous soils as potential biofertilizers. Forty bacterial isolates coded as SG1, SG2, …, SG40 were isolated and screened for siderophore production, with ten showing significant Fe solubilizing capabilities. These isolates were further assessed for phosphate solubilization and exopolysaccharides production. The selected bacterial isolates were also screened under axenic conditions for their ability to improve maize growth. The isolates SG8, SG13, SG24, SG30 and SG33 significantly enhanced growth parameters of maize. Notably, SG30 showed highest increment in shoot length (58%), root length (54%), root fresh and dry biomass (67% and 76%), SPAD value (67%), relative water contents (69%), root surface area (61%), and Fe concentration in shoots (79%) as compared to control. The biochemical characterization of these strains showed that all these strains have capability to solubilize insoluble phosphorus, produce indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), and ammonia with catalase, urease and protease activity. Molecular identification through 16s rRNA gene sequencing confirmed high similarity (99.7-100%) of the selected isolates to various Bacillus species, including B. pyramidoids, B. firmicutes, and B. cereus. The study provides a strong base for developing eco-friendly, cost-effective biofertilizers to address Fe deficiency in crops and promote sustainable agriculture.

Indexed as

BacillusIronPlant RootsRhizosphereSoil MicrobiologyZea maysFertilizersIndoleacetic AcidsPhosphatesRNA, Ribosomal, 16SSiderophoresSolubilityFertilizersindoleacetic acidIndoleacetic AcidsIronPhosphatesRNA, Ribosomal, 16SSiderophoresBacillus sp.BiofortificationExopolysaccharidesFe solubilizationP-solubilizationSiderophores

Identifiers

PMID39487290
PMCPMC11530623

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.