In recent years, the effects of fluoride (F) pollution in numerous ecosystems such as groundwater, soil, etc. Have become a major issue worldwide. This increase in F pollution is a direct consequence of the unbridled use of fertilizers in agricultural and several other human activities that require immediate and appropriate action. Therefore, this manuscript reveals important findings on the efficacy of bacteria isolated from agricultural fields in central Chhattisgarh in manifesting resistance to F and in reversing the F-induced oxidative damage in susceptible Oryza sativa L, (Var. MTU1010). Chronic exposure of Oryza sativa L. to sodium fluoride (NaF) (50 mg L- 1) severely impeded growth and various physiological parameters such as germination percentage, biomass and root and shoot length and stimulated the formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), which enhanced electrolyte leakage and formation of cytotoxic products like malondialdehyde. To this end, potential bacterial strains, namely MT2A, MT3A, MT4A, and Du3A were isolated, screened for various plant growth promoting (PGP) traits and used to explore their efficiency to mitigate F toxicity in Oryza sativa L. in vivo. The seedlings inoculated with the bacterial strains showed significant development as evidenced by an increase in root and shoot length, biomass and chlorophyll content. Additionally, inoculation of these strains in combination with F stress significantly decreased oxidative stress by increasing the expression of protective genes encoding antioxidant enzymes and boosted agronomic traits remarkably. Overall, the manuscript demonstrates the pivotal role played by the isolated bacteria in abating ill effects of F in the Oryza sativa L. seedlings and proves their potential as protective bioagents against F stress.

High soil salinity has an unfavorable consequence on the growth and productivity of rice crop. However, some salt-tolerant plant growth-promoting bacteria (ST-PGPB) regulate specific physiological, biochemical, and molecular properties to promote crop growth while minimizing the detrimental effects of salt stress. In this regard, we isolated ST-PGPB from rhizospheric soil and examined it to mitigate the salinity stress in rice seedlings. The growth of the bacterium at 3 M NaCl demonstrated its halotolerance, and 16S rRNA sequencing identified it as Bacillus siamensis, and the isolated strain was named BW. Further study indicated that biopriming with BW strain helps plant growth promotion-related phenotype and significantly mitigates salinity stress in rice seedlings. Treatment of rice seeds with BW resulted in significantly improved germination of seedlings at 75 mM to 150 mM NaCl, along with better physiology and biochemical parameters than the untreated ones. Furthermore, Bacillus sp. BW efficiently colonizes rice roots and produces auxin and siderophore, via forming biofilm under different salt concentrations. Under 100-200 mM NaCl treatment conditions, the extracellular metabolite profile from BW showed a substantial abundance in specific metabolites, such as osmoprotective chemicals, suggesting the likely protective mechanism against salinity stress damage. This study demonstrates the role and potential of a halotolerant- BW strain in supporting the growth of rice plants under salinity conditions.