A Study on the Effect of the Rhizobacterium, Bacillus sp. SH1RP8 and Potassium Family Polymers on the Crop Growth under Saline

This study aimed to evaluate the potential plantgrowth promoting effects of potassium polyacrylate, a superabsorbent polymer, and Bacillus sp. SH1RP8, a family of plant-growth-promoting bacteria. Potassium polyacrylate was selected as the polymer for use due to its high molecular weight and its ability to retain and continuously supply moisture. Plant-growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) were isolated from the soil and applied to plants growing in dry environments, such as saline conditions. The moisture absorption and retention abilities of potassium polyacrylate were evaluated at a high temperature (50°C) and in a dry condition, during which time the polymer showed a water retention potential of 19606.07% after 29 days. To overcome the reaming problem in the soil environment, natural polymers (such as cellulose) were mixed with the potassium acrylate. The shoot growths of Peucedanum japonicum Thunb and Arundo donax were significantly enhanced when treated with the mixture of the isolated rhizosphere bacterium SH1RP8 and potassium polyacrylate (63.5 and 124.3%, respectively).