PGPB Consortium Promotes Drought Tolerance in Capsicum frutescens

Objectives: This study evaluated the potential of a bacterial consortium-Bacillus cereus, Micrococcus luteus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa-to enhance drought tolerance in Capsicum frutescens L. seedlings. Materials and Methods: Conducted from March to April 2025 at Cavite State University, the experiment followed a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with 150 seedlings grown under controlled watering and drought conditions. Morphological parameters were measured on Day 0 (baseline), Day 7 (after watering), Day 14 (after drought), and Day 17 (after recovery). Results: A marked decline in growth by Day 14 confirmed successful drought induction. By Day 17, significant improvements in plant height, root length, stem girth, total number of fully expanded leaves, leaf size, number of fully expanded leaves, and biovolume index were observed in inoculated treatments compared to controls. Although physiological traits and microbial load quantification did not show statistically significant differences, a clear biological trend was evident-plants inoculated with the consortium, under both drought and non-drought conditions, consistently showed higher values. Conclusion: These findings suggest that the bacterial consortium can enhance drought resilience in C. frutescens seedlings, supporting its potential as a biofertilizer for use in stress-prone agricultural systems in the Philippines. Recommendations include standardizing inoculation and sampling methods, increasing replicates, and incorporating additional physiological and biochemical stress indicators.