Evaluating the combined effect of the Paracoccus acridae BA106 and naringenin to confer drought stress in soybean via activation of nucleic acid machinery to confer protection for future food security.

Drought is a significant abiotic stress that negatively affects crop production. The present study aimed to assess the synergistic effects of PGPR and naringenin on enhancing drought stress tolerance in soybean. Several bacterial strains were isolated from the rhizospheric soil of Artemisia located at Pohang Beach. Among the isolated strains, BA106 (Paracoccus acridae) showed favorable results under in vitro drought stress induced by PEG-6000. To further investigate the synergistic effect of BA106 (Paracoccus acridae) and naringenin, a pot experiment was conducted, comprising a control (water only) and plants treated with BA106, Naringenin (0.1 mM), and BA106 + naringenin under both normal and drought stress conditions. The results revealed that BA106 + naringenin-treated plants showed improved seedling characteristics, relative water contents, and antioxidant potential under control and drought stress. Moreover, endogenous abscisic acid (ABA) levels were significantly reduced in the treatment group. The combined application of BA106 and naringenin offers a sustainable agricultural strategy to effectively mitigate the detrimental effects of drought. Molecular docking of nuclear machinery revealed that both ABA and Naringenin exhibit strong binding affinities with PYR1-like 4 protein and ABA 8-hydroxylase, engaging key active site residues. These interactions suggest their potential roles in modulating ABA signaling and degradation pathways under drought conditions.