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To develop co‐aggregated bacterial inoculant comprising of Methylobacterium oryzae CBMB20/Methylobacterium suomiense CBMB120 strains with Azospirillum brasilense (CW903) strain and testing their efficiency as inoculants for plant growth promotion (PGP).

Biofilm formation and co‐aggregation efficiency was studied between A. brasilense CW903 and methylobacterial strains M. oryzae CBMB20 and M. suomiense CBMB120. Survival and release of these co‐aggregated bacterial strains entrapped in alginate beads were assessed. PGP attributes of the co‐aggregated bacterial inoculant were tested in tomato plants under water‐stressed conditions. Results suggest that the biofilm formation efficiency of the CBMB20 and CBMB120 strains increased by 15 and 34%, respectively, when co‐cultivated with CW903. Co‐aggregation with CW903 …