Biotización con Bacterias Promotoras del Crecimiento Vegetal en Microplantas de Papa
The use of beneficial microorganisms during the acclimatization and hardening of micropropagated potato plants reduces the need for chemical inputs and increases plant survival under various biotic and abiotic stress conditions. The combined application of these biotechnological techniques is known as biotization. This study aimed to quantify the ef fect of inoculation with Pseudomonas putida (strain M11) and Stenotrophomonas rhizophila (strain KN01) on the morphology of micropropagated potato plants during acclimatization and hardening. Potato plantlets were micropropagated on Murashige and Skoog (MS) culture medium, bacterial strains were characterized in vitro, and morphometric variables and plantlet survival were evaluated. P. putida (M11) exhibited phosphate-solubilizing potential, nitrogen-fixing ability, and the capacity to produce indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) and siderophores, resulting in increased plant survival. In contrast, S. rhizophila did not exhibit qualitative plant growth-promoting traits in vitro; however, during acclimatization it significantly increased plant height, stem diameter, and root length. During hardening, plantlets inoculated with P. putida showed greater fresh and dry biomass, as well as increased root length. No significant dif ferences were found between inoculation methods, whereas significant dif ferences were observed among treatments. These results suggest a possible synergistic interaction between micropropagated potato plants and the bacterial strains evaluated.