Abstract:As a pioneer species in desert areas and the main host of Cistanche deserticola, Atriplex canescens is widely planted in the Ulan Buh Desert in Inner Mongolia. Rhizosphere and endophytic microorganisms play a significant role in the growth and stress resistance of plants. However, few studies have been conducted on the growth-promoting functions of rhizosphere and endophytic bacteria on A. canescens in the Ulan Buh Desert.Objective We screened plant growth-promoting strains from the rhizosphere and endophytic bacteria of A. canescens, aiming to provide microbial resources for the sustainable breeding of A. canescens in this region.Methods Rhizosphere soil and plant samples of A. canescens were collected from the Ulan Buh Desert in Dengkou County, Inner Mongolia. Rhizosphere and endophytic bacteria were isolated and purified. The plant growth-promoting effects of these bacteria and the plant growth-promoting bacteria of Astragalus previously obtained by our research group on A. canescens seedlings were investigated. Molecular biological identification and functional analysis were conducted on the strains with significant plant growth-promoting effects. Then, these strains were combined and the growth-promoting effects of the strain combinations on A. canescens were evaluated.Results A total of 60 rhizosphere bacterial strains and 14 endophytic bacterial strains of A. canescens were isolated. Two endophytic bacterial strains significantly promoted the growth of A. canescens seedlings. Among the Astragalus growth-promoting bacteria tested, three strains had significant growth-promoting effects on A. canescens seedlings. The five plant growth-promoting strains were identified as four species belonging to three genera: Pseudomonas, Bacillus, and Acinetobacter. These strains had different levels of nitrogen fixation, inorganic and organic phosphorus solubilization, potassium feldspar and potassium aluminum silicate solubilization, and indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) and biofilm production. Most of the strains had the ability to produce siderophores. Multiple strain combinations promoted the growth of A. canescens. Combinations 2 (IH-2, IH-9, and TYA27), 3 (IH-2, IH-9, and PAS13-2) and 4 (IH-2, TYA39, and TYA27) demonstrated the best comprehensive plant growth-promoting effects, with Pseudomonas bijieensis IH-2 as the core strain.Conclusion The growth-promoting bacteria of A. canescens in the Ulan Buh Desert mainly include Pseudomonas and Bacillus. P. bijieensis plays a core role in the plant growth-promoting bacterial combinations.