Research Article

Exploring plant growth-promoting bacteria from peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) rhizosphere in Morocco's sandy soils: Potential for soil fertility improvement

Volume: 15 Number: 2 April 1, 2026
  • Ouissale Chaghouaoui
  • Anass El Yemlahi
  • Mariem Imziren
  • Samia Hamane
  • Ouiam El Galiou
  • Amin Laglaoui
  • Mounir Hassani Zerrouk
  • Mohammed Bakkali
  • Abdelhay Arakrak *

Exploring plant growth-promoting bacteria from peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) rhizosphere in Morocco's sandy soils: Potential for soil fertility improvement

Abstract

Peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) cultivation in Morocco’s sandy soils is limited by poor soil fertility and high permeability, which restricts nutrient and water retention. This study aims to isolate, identify, and investigate native plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria to improve the growth and resilience of peanut. Fifteen bacterial isolates were recovered from the peanut rhizosphere collected from the surface layer of the sandy soils in northwestern Morocco, characterized by low phosphorus and organic matter contents. Two isolates, JR62 and JR86, exhibiting high phosphate-solubilizing activity (238.651 and 196.111 mg/L, respectively), were chosen and identified based on 16S rRNA gene sequencing analysis as being closely related to Microbacterium oxydans (PQ758594) and Enterobacter asburiae (OM101034), respectively. These strains were initially characterized for soil-related biochemical activities phosphate solubilization, siderophore production, and lytic enzyme activities given their pivotal roles in driving soil nutrient cycling and improving nutrient bioavailability. Subsequently, they were examined for additional plant growth-promoting attributes, including IAA production, ACC deaminase activity, HCN and ammonia synthesis, antifungal activity, and tolerance to multiple abiotic stresses (salinity, pH and temperature variability, and PEG-induced drought). Collectively, these functional traits underscore the strains’ potential to substantially influence soil nutrient dynamics while promoting plant health. Inoculation of peanut plants with E. asburiae JR86 and M. oxydans JR62 significantly enhanced growth parameters. The JR86 strain demonstrated the highest increases in shoot (42%) lengths and biomass (180%), whereas JR62 resulted in increases of 24% and 62%, respectively. Such results are attributed to soil-mediated processes, including phosphate solubilization and iron chelation, which together enhance nutrient availability, promote soil nutrient cycling, and improve the fertility of sandy soils.

Keywords

References

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Details

Primary Language

English

Subjects

Soil Sciences and Plant Nutrition (Other)

Journal Section

Research Article

Authors

Ouissale Chaghouaoui This is me
0000-0002-4649-972X
Morocco

Anass El Yemlahi This is me
0000-0003-2812-3726
Morocco

Mariem Imziren This is me
0009-0004-6177-8788
Morocco

Ouiam El Galiou This is me
0000-0002-8208-0360
Morocco

Mounir Hassani Zerrouk This is me
0000-0001-8711-9554
Morocco

Mohammed Bakkali This is me
0000-0001-8141-5870
Morocco

Abdelhay Arakrak * This is me
0000-0002-7019-6649
Morocco

Publication Date

April 1, 2026

Submission Date

May 12, 2025

Acceptance Date

January 8, 2026

Published in Issue

Year 2026 Volume: 15 Number: 2

APA
Chaghouaoui, O., Yemlahi, A. E., Imziren, M., Hamane, S., Galiou, O. E., Laglaoui, A., Zerrouk, M. H., Bakkali, M., & Arakrak, A. (2026). Exploring plant growth-promoting bacteria from peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) rhizosphere in Morocco’s sandy soils: Potential for soil fertility improvement. Eurasian Journal of Soil Science, 15(2), 168-181. https://doi.org/10.18393/ejss.1863401
AMA
1.Chaghouaoui O, Yemlahi AE, Imziren M, et al. Exploring plant growth-promoting bacteria from peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) rhizosphere in Morocco’s sandy soils: Potential for soil fertility improvement. EJSS. 2026;15(2):168-181. doi:10.18393/ejss.1863401
Chicago
Chaghouaoui, Ouissale, Anass El Yemlahi, Mariem Imziren, et al. 2026. “Exploring Plant Growth-Promoting Bacteria from Peanut (Arachis Hypogaea L.) Rhizosphere in Morocco’s Sandy Soils: Potential for Soil Fertility Improvement”. Eurasian Journal of Soil Science 15 (2): 168-81. https://doi.org/10.18393/ejss.1863401.
EndNote
Chaghouaoui O, Yemlahi AE, Imziren M, Hamane S, Galiou OE, Laglaoui A, Zerrouk MH, Bakkali M, Arakrak A (April 1, 2026) Exploring plant growth-promoting bacteria from peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) rhizosphere in Morocco’s sandy soils: Potential for soil fertility improvement. Eurasian Journal of Soil Science 15 2 168–181.
IEEE
[1]O. Chaghouaoui et al., “Exploring plant growth-promoting bacteria from peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) rhizosphere in Morocco’s sandy soils: Potential for soil fertility improvement”, EJSS, vol. 15, no. 2, pp. 168–181, Apr. 2026, doi: 10.18393/ejss.1863401.
ISNAD
Chaghouaoui, Ouissale - Yemlahi, Anass El - Imziren, Mariem - Hamane, Samia - Galiou, Ouiam El - Laglaoui, Amin - Zerrouk, Mounir Hassani - Bakkali, Mohammed - Arakrak, Abdelhay. “Exploring Plant Growth-Promoting Bacteria from Peanut (Arachis Hypogaea L.) Rhizosphere in Morocco’s Sandy Soils: Potential for Soil Fertility Improvement”. Eurasian Journal of Soil Science 15/2 (April 1, 2026): 168-181. https://doi.org/10.18393/ejss.1863401.
JAMA
1.Chaghouaoui O, Yemlahi AE, Imziren M, Hamane S, Galiou OE, Laglaoui A, Zerrouk MH, Bakkali M, Arakrak A. Exploring plant growth-promoting bacteria from peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) rhizosphere in Morocco’s sandy soils: Potential for soil fertility improvement. EJSS. 2026;15:168–181.
MLA
Chaghouaoui, Ouissale, et al. “Exploring Plant Growth-Promoting Bacteria from Peanut (Arachis Hypogaea L.) Rhizosphere in Morocco’s Sandy Soils: Potential for Soil Fertility Improvement”. Eurasian Journal of Soil Science, vol. 15, no. 2, Apr. 2026, pp. 168-81, doi:10.18393/ejss.1863401.
Vancouver
1.Ouissale Chaghouaoui, Anass El Yemlahi, Mariem Imziren, Samia Hamane, Ouiam El Galiou, Amin Laglaoui, Mounir Hassani Zerrouk, Mohammed Bakkali, Abdelhay Arakrak. Exploring plant growth-promoting bacteria from peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) rhizosphere in Morocco’s sandy soils: Potential for soil fertility improvement. EJSS. 2026 Apr. 1;15(2):168-81. doi:10.18393/ejss.1863401