Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41469413›Full record

ArticleScientific reports2025

The role of Bacillus megaterium PEF-1 in stimulating the growth of organic cotton under environmental stress conditions.

Gulnar Ultanbekova, Bitore Jumakhanov, Aidos Nussupov, Dmitry Faleev, Rauan Satymbekov, Kanat Kulymbet, Abdelaziz Hajjaji, Saule Daugaliyeva, Karlygash Mukhatayeva, Nurgul Mamytova

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In one paragraph

Article in Scientific reports, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing 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

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. ALife (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026
    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

10 authors.

Gulnar UltanbekovaAl-Farabi Kazakh National University, Al-Farabi ave 71, Almaty, 050040, Kazakhstan. ultanbekova77@mail.ru.
Bitore JumakhanovKhoja Akhmet Yassawi International Kazakh-Turkish University, Bekzat Sattarkhanov 29, Turkistan, 161200, Kazakhstan.
Aidos NussupovAlmaty Technological University, Tole bi 100, Almaty, 050012, Kazakhstan. aidarzhan.science@gmail.com.
Dmitry FaleevInstitute of High Technologies LLP, Bogenbai Batyr 168, Almaty, 050012, Kazakhstan. ex_eko@mail.ru.
Rauan SatymbekovAl-Farabi Kazakh National University, Al-Farabi ave 71, Almaty, 050040, Kazakhstan.
Kanat KulymbetAl-Farabi Kazakh National University, Al-Farabi ave 71, Almaty, 050040, Kazakhstan.
Abdelaziz HajjajiIslamic Organization for Food Security, l'Organization Islamique pour la Securite Almentaire, Mangilik Yel ave 55/21, AIFC, Unit 4, C4.2, Astana, 010000, Kazakhstan.
Saule DaugaliyevaResearch and Production Center of Microbiology and Virology, Bogenbai Batyr 105, Almaty, 050010, Kazakhstan.
Karlygash MukhatayevaAl-Farabi Kazakh National University, Al-Farabi ave 71, Almaty, 050040, Kazakhstan.
Nurgul MamytovaAl-Farabi Kazakh National University, Al-Farabi ave 71, Almaty, 050040, Kazakhstan.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Cotton (Gossypium spp.) is a key crop in Kazakhstan, yet its productivity is constrained by saline-alkaline soils, which affect approximately 41% of the nation's arable land. Conventional soil remediation methods are often unsustainable and economically impractical. This study investigates the potential of Bacillus megaterium PEF-1, a plant growth-promoting rhizobacterium (PGPR) isolated from cotton rhizospheres in the Turkestan region, as a biofertilizer for saline-alkaline conditions. The strain demonstrated high tolerance to salinity (up to 10% NaCl), alkalinity (pH 9.0), and heavy metals, and produced significant levels of indole-3-acetic acid (IAA; 895 mg/L in vitro). Field trials with seed inoculation (10⁹ CFU/mL) showed marked improvements in cotton growth, including increases in plant height (18%), boll number (22%), and yield (25%) relative to controls. Soil analyses revealed enhanced nutrient availability in treated plots: nitrogen (+ 4.3%), phosphorus (+ 15.1%), potassium (+ 26.8%), and humus content (+ 29.3%). Stress mitigation was achieved through ACC deaminase-mediated ethylene reduction and superoxide dismutase (SOD)-driven reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenging. Acute toxicity tests, conducted in accordance with OECD guidelines, confirmed the strain's biosafety with no adverse effects in mammalian models. Bacillus megaterium PEF-1 exhibits strong potential as a sustainable biofertilizer for improving cotton yields and soil fertility under saline-alkaline stress. Its capacity for nutrient mobilization, phytohormone synthesis, and abiotic stress alleviation aligns with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 2 (Zero Hunger) and 15 (Life on Land), offering a scalable, eco-friendly alternative to chemical fertilizers for arid and degraded agroecosystems.

Indexed as

Bacillus megateriumGossypiumPlant RootsSalt ToleranceFertilizersIndoleacetic AcidsKazakhstanPhylogenyPlant Growth RegulatorsSalinitySoilSoil MicrobiologyFertilizersindoleacetic acidIndoleacetic AcidsPlant Growth RegulatorsSoilBacillus megaterium PEF-1BiofertilizerCottonIndole-3-acetic acidKazakhstanSaline-alkaline soilsSustainable agriculture

Identifiers

PMID41469413
PMCPMC12753775

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LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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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.