Enhancing crop productivity under stress through plant growth-promoting bacterial consortia: Relevance to sustainable...

Abiotic and biotic stresses significantly threaten global food security and agricultural sustainability. Achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 2 (Zero Hunger), SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation), SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production), SDG 13 (Climate Action), and SDG 15 (Life on Land), requires sustainable agricultural approaches. Recently, plant growth-promoting bacterial (PGPB) consortia have emerged as an effective strategy for enhancing crop productivity under stress conditions. These microbial communities improve plant growth through mechanisms such as nitrogen fixation, phosphate solubilization, phytohormone production, siderophore secretion, ACC deaminase activity, induction of systemic resistance, while enhancing nutrient uptake, antioxidant activity, osmotic regulation, and stress-responsive signalling pathways, thus improving plant health and productivity. Compared with single-strain inoculants, consortia provide synergistic effects that enhance rhizosphere colonization, microbial survival, and plant-microbe interactions, thus contributing to the achievement of the SDGs. Recent advances in modern tools such as metagenomics, metatranscriptomics, metabolomics, and machine learning for predictive microbiome modelling, as well as field-level engineering approaches such as encapsulation technologies, biochar-based carriers, seed coating, and root microbiome editing, have accelerated the development of efficient microbial formulations for sustainable agriculture. This review discusses the potential of PGPB consortia as a sustainable solution for boosting crop productivity under stress. The integration of consortia into modern agricultural practices can play a crucial role in supporting resilient farming systems and advancing the global SDG agenda. This review highlights the key limitations, challenges, and research gaps associated with PGPB consortia, as well as future prospects for enhancing crop productivity.