Novel Plant-Growth Promoting Bacteria and the Use Thereof

A bacterial composition comprising at least one Microbacterium strain, said composition having a plant-growth promoting effect upon administration to seeds, seedlings and plants, wherein the Microbacterium strain is chosen from the strains EC8, EC19, W283 or any other strain with a genetic correspondence to EC8 based on 16S rRNA gene sequence of at least 98%.

A method for producing biostimulant effects in seeds, seedlings and/or plants, comprising the step of priming said seeds, or seedlings or plants with a bacterial composition comprising at least one plant growth promoting bacterium strain from the Microbacterium genus,

• wherein the Microbacterium strain is chosen from the strains EC8, EC19, W283 or any other strain with a genetic correspondence to EC8 based on 16S rRNA gene sequence of at least 98%, wherein the Microbacterium bacteria comprise genes for production of volatile organic compounds, via which the priming occurs,
• wherein the seed, seedling or plant is exposed to the Microbacterium strain(s) by inoculation of the bacterial composition on or into a germination or growth medium at conditions at which the said bacterium from the Microbacterium genus produce volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and wherein the produced VOCs can reach the seeds, seedlings or plants.

A method for producing biostimulant effects in plants from the Solanum genus within the Solanaceae family, wherein use is made of a bacterial composition as claimed in claim 1, comprising at least one plant growth-promoting bacterial strain from the Microbacterium genus, said composition having a plant-growth promoting effect upon administration to seeds, seedlings and plants, wherein the Microbacterium strain is chosen from the strains EC8, EC19, W283 or any other strain with a genetic correspondence to EC8 based on 16S rRNA gene sequence of at least 98%.