{
  "abstract": "Global phosphorus scarcity and the environmental impacts of chemical fertilizers necessitate sustainable microbial alternatives for agriculture. We characterized Burkholderia gladioli ST3M-39a, a maize rhizosphere isolate, as a multifunctional plant growth-promoting rhizobacterium with exceptional climate resilience. The strain achieved rapid phosphate solubilization (177.96 ± 5.26 µg/mL within 24 h; molybdenum-antimony assay), zinc solubilization, and ammonia production, EPS production, produced stress-alleviating enzymes (cellulase and protease), and biosurfactant production. Crucially, it maintained robust growth and phosphate-mobilizing capacity under extreme abiotic stresses: pH 4.5–8.5, 7.5% NaCl salinity, and drought-mimicking low water activity (aw 0.950, 32% sorbitol). The strain was non-hemolytic and non-pathogenic to plants. In wheat trials, ST3M-39a inoculation significantly increased the growth parameters (p < 0.05 vs. those of the uninoculated controls), resulting in 85–92% of the biomass stimulation observed with diammonium phosphate (DAP) fertilizer. This multifunctional stress tolerance, coupled with its near-fertilizer efficacy, positioned ST3M-39a as a transformative bioinoculant for degraded soils. Field validation of its agricultural deployment and ecological impact is now pivotal.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "Shubham Biotech Nepal Private Limited, Chitwan, Nepal",
    "Biotechnological Research and Development Center Private Limited, Chitwan, Nepal",
    "National Biotechnology Research Center, Nepal Agricultural Research Council, Lalitpur, Nepal"
  ],
  "article_type": "Research Article",
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 6,
  "authors": [
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Sudip Silwal"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1
      ],
      "name": "Asmita Shrestha"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        2
      ],
      "name": "Shreejan Pokharel"
    },
    {
      "name": "Bignya Chandra Khanal"
    },
    {
      "name": "Ramesh Acharya"
    },
    {
      "name": "Gyanu Raj Pandey"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/6z9kcwn6rkddg.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.1371/journal.pone.0332355",
  "fulltext_url": null,
  "id": "6z9kcwn6rkddg",
  "issns": [
    "1932-6203"
  ],
  "landing_url": "https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0332355",
  "language": null,
  "licence": "CC-BY-4.0",
  "licence_label": "CC BY 4.0",
  "licence_source": "journal",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "openalex",
      "1110|Plant-Microbe Interactions and Immunity"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Biology and life sciences/Agriculture/Agricultural soil science"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Biology and life sciences/Agriculture/Agrochemicals/Fertilizers"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Biology and life sciences/Biochemistry/Glycobiology/Polysaccharides/Exopolysaccharides"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Biology and life sciences/Cell biology/Osmotic shock"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Biology and life sciences/Microbiology/Medical microbiology/Microbial pathogens/Bacterial pathogens/Burkholderia"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Biology and life sciences/Organisms/Bacteria/Burkholderia"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Biology and life sciences/Organisms/Eukaryota/Plants/Grasses/Wheat"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Biology and life sciences/Plant science/Plant anatomy/Leaves"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Earth sciences/Soil science/Agricultural soil science"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Medicine and health sciences/Pathology and laboratory medicine/Pathogens/Microbial pathogens/Bacterial pathogens/Burkholderia"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Physical sciences/Chemistry/Chemical compounds/Phosphates"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7221195129",
  "pdf_url": "https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0332355&type=printable",
  "pmcid": null,
  "pmid": null,
  "published": "2026-10-09",
  "publisher": "Public Library of Science",
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/6z9kcwn6rkddg.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:17:30Z",
      "native_id": "10.1371/journal.pone.0332355",
      "source": "plos",
      "url": "https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0332355"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "biology",
      "origin": "plos:cell biology",
      "subfield": "cell-biology"
    },
    {
      "field": "biology",
      "origin": "plos:microbiology",
      "subfield": "microbiology"
    },
    {
      "field": "biology",
      "origin": "plos:plant science",
      "subfield": "plant-biology"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Defying salinity, drought, and pH extremes: A multifunctional rhizobacterium, Burkholderia gladioli ST3M-39a, matches fertilizer efficacy in wheat via phosphate solubilization",
  "title_text": "Defying salinity, drought, and pH extremes: A multifunctional rhizobacterium, Burkholderia gladioli ST3M-39a, matches fertilizer efficacy in wheat via phosphate solubilization",
  "type": "peer-reviewed",
  "updated_at": "2026-10-30T12:17:30Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/6z9kcwn6rkddg",
  "venue": "PLOS One",
  "versions": []
}