Physiological, structural and molecular traits activated in strawberry plants after inoculation with the plant growth‐promoting bacterium Azospirillum brasilense REC3

Summary

Abstract The plant growth‐promoting strain REC3 of Azospirillum brasilense, isolated from strawberry roots, prompts growth promotion and systemic protection against anthracnose disease in this crop. Hence, we hypothesised that A. brasilense REC3 can induce different physiological, structural and molecular responses in strawberry plants. Therefore, the aim of this work was to study these traits activated in Azospirillum‐colonised strawberry plants, which have not been assessed until now. Healthy, in vitro micropropagated plants were root‐inoculated with REC3 under hydroponic conditions; root and leaf tissues were sampled at different times, and oxidative burst, phenolic compound content, malondialdehyde (MDA) concentration, callose deposition, cell wall fortification and gene expression wer