Initial results of the assessment of the microbiome potential of Heracleum sosnowskyi for agricultural production in the Non-Chernozem Zone of Russia

The Russian agro-industrial complex's disadvantage in strategic directions for the introduction of environmentally friendly technologies into agricultural production highlights the need for research aimed, among other things, at the creation and study of new microbial preparations. The purpose of the study is to search for bacteria that are promising for agricultural production in the Non-Chernozem Zone of Russia. The object chosen for obtaining such bacteria was Sosnowsky's hogweed (Heracleum sosnowskyi), which has high ecological plasticity and the ability to rapidly expand. As part of the study, in 2025 a field visit was made to a meadow community with dense thickets of H. sosnowskyi near the village of Mukhino in the Cherepovets district of the Vologda region. 36 plant samples of various organs of this species were collected, from which 76 bacterial isolates (44 epiphytic strains and 32 endophytic) were isolated in the laboratory. The following properties of the strains were assessed: the ability to synthesize indoleacetic acid, fix molecular nitrogen, transform phosphates into a form accessible to plants, and exhibit cellulose, proteolytic, and amylolytic activity. The results of the study of the isolated strains showed that the BL-02-25en and BL-03-25en strains have a high growth-stimulating potential, synthesize indoleacetic acid in an amount of 129.8–151.7 mg/l, and are distinguished by a developed ability to transform phosphates and fix atmospheric nitrogen. Moreover, these isolates did not exhibit cellulolytic activity. Moreover, the isolate BS-05-25en has proven promising for the decomposition of plant residues, as it hydrolyzes cellulose, starch, and casein quite well at the same time. Strains BK-11-25, BL-03-25, BP-11-25, BK-02-25en, BL-01-25en, BS-04-25en, BS-05-25en have high amyloand proteolytic activity, which may indicate their potential ability to suppress the development of phytopathogens.

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