The research purpose was the characterization of indigenous heavy metal-resistant plant growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB) from the farmlands located on the Le'an River basin contaminated by acid mine drainage and their effects on plant growth, nutrient uptake, antioxidant enzyme activities and metal accumulation. The plant growth-promoting (PGP) traits, including 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid deaminase, indoleacetic acid, siderophore, ammonia production and phosphate solubilization, as well as antibiotics, acid/alkali and salt resistance were determined. Ten isolates with relatively high PGP activities were identified to belong to the genera Burkholderia, Paraburkholderia, Cupriavidus, Pseudomonas and Ralstonia. The numerical classification based on bacterial resistant characteristics was mostly consistent with their phylogenetic positions. Burkholderia sp. strain S6-1 and Pseudomonas sp. strain S2-3 possessed both greater PGP activities and resistant characteristics in overall comparison. Compared with non-inoculated plants, strains S6-1 and S2-3 significantly increased the height, dry weight and N uptake of sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L.). The presence of S6-1 significantly increased Pb accumulation and enhanced the translocation of Zn from root to shoot in sorghum. Strain S2-3 helped sorghum to uptake Cu and Zn and improved the remediation effect of sorghum on Cu and Zn. Overall, indigenous PGPB did not show better advantages in improving plant growth than non-indigenous P. putida UW4. Nevertheless, indigenous PGPB can be used as better candidates in heavy metal phytoremediation to minimize the potential risks of introducing invasive microbial species into an agricultural ecosystem.
Keywords: AMD pollution; indigenous PGPB; metal accumulation; phytoremediation.