Isolation Characterization and Field Evaluation of Plant Groth promoting Endophytes from madhuca longifolia KOENIGT

Abstract

Madhuca longifolia, belonging to Sapotaceae family, is one of the less explored plants for agricultural uses. Their flowers provide unique habitats to microorganisms. Though the flowers have been utilized for many purposes, limited knowledge about their endophytic community is known that inhabit within flower tissues. The aim of this study was to isolate and characterize endophytic bacteria and yeast having plant growth promoting activity from mahua flower. Seven bacteria and two yeasts were found non-pathogenic from twelve bacteria and four yeast endophytes isolates. Among them, one bacterial isolate (MSB1) and two yeast isolates (MSY1 and MSY2) have significant density. The bacterial isolate was found to produce IAA (18.57 µg/ml) and 47.80% siderophore units, while both yeast isolates had also the capacity to produce IAA (15.14 and 39.64 µg/ml, respectively) and phosphate solubilization (12.24 µg/ml and 10.79 µg/ml, respectively). Biochemically, these isolates were different from each others as well so, based on molecular identity; isolates are found phylogenetically related to Bacillus amyloliquefaciens (MSB1), Rhodotorula sp. (MSY1) and Pichia kudriavzevii (MSY2), respectively. The observation made in the present study could support with some basic information to improve the understanding of emerging era of phyllosphere microbial ecology. newlinePresent study revealed that single inoculants of both the yeast isolates with biocompost application found superior to recommended dose of chemical fertilizer. Further, the single inoculation of P. kudriavzevii (T6) and Rhodotorula sp. (T5) application was recorded 31.80% and 26.93% more economical yield and 15.02% and 12.49% higher stover yield, respectively than sole biocompost application (T3). Harvest index for yeast isolates, P. kudriavzevii and Rhodotorula sp. recorded 1.31% and 0.15% increase compared to chemical fertilizer and 10.30% and 9.04% increase to a sole biocompost application, respectively. newline