#$%^&*AU2015210432B220170330.pdf#####ABSTRACT According to the present invention new isolates of bacterial strains have been shown to possess unique properties. These bacterial strains are plant growth-promoting rhizobacterium 5 (PGPR), posses an enhanced competitive advantage at colonizing leguminous plants, and enhance the overall performance of leguminous plant growth. Further still, the present invention discloses a novel method for screening and selecting bacterial strains having the aforementioned beneficial characteristics.