Harnessing Native Bacillus spp. for Sustainable Wheat Production

The genus has been widely applied in contemporary agriculture as an environmentally-friendly biological agent. However, the real effect of commercial -based fertilizers and pesticides varies immensely in the field. To harness for efficient wheat production, we reviewed the diversity, functionality, and applicability of wheat-associated native for the first time. Our main findings are: (i) spp. inhabit the rhizosphere, root, stem, leaf, and kernel of wheat; (ii) B. subtilis and B. velezensis are the most widely endophytic species that can be isolated from both below and aboveground tissues; (iii) major functions of these representative strains are promotion of plant growth and alleviation of both abiotic and biotic stresses in wheat; (iv) stability and effectiveness are 2 major challenges during field application; (v) a STVAE pipeline that includes 5 processes, namely, Screen, Test, Validation, Application, and Evaluation, has been proposed for the capture and refinement of wheat-associated spp. In particular, this review comprehensively addresses possible solutions, concerns, and criteria during the development of native -based inoculants for sustainable wheat production.