What does the published scientific research say about Priestia megaterium?

Priestia megaterium — formerly classified as Bacillus megaterium — is the subject of eight indexed PubMed articles examining its role as a plant-associated microorganism. Researchers searching for Priestia megaterium PGPR activity or Bacillus megaterium plant growth promotion will find a consistent body of work documenting this bacterium's capacity to produce indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), solubilize phosphate and potassium, generate siderophores, and express ACC deaminase activity.

Peer-reviewed research reports that specific strains promote shoot and root growth in rice and other crops, with one study (PMID 36662359) citing P. megaterium BL9 as the top performer for shoot length and fresh weight among tested isolates. Strain JR48 is reported in the literature to induce salicylic acid-mediated resistance to crucifer black rot (PMID 36438094), and strain NK851 is documented releasing up to 222 mg/L potassium from potassium feldspar via extracellular binding proteins (PMID 37762528).

Additional published studies cover Priestia megaterium salt tolerance mechanisms (PMID 41488307), heavy metal resistance in mine-tailing environments (PMID 37615783), and bioformulation stability over six months at 4°C (PMID 39435675). High-dose carbendazim fungicide is reported to sharply suppress its plant growth-promoting traits (PMID 36605502). All benefits described here are cited findings in peer-reviewed research, not approved label claims.