Screening Growth Promoting Traits in Maize Using Native Rhizobacteria through Multiple Approaches

Abstract

Plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) are the soil bacteria that enhance the growth and yield of any plant via synthesis of plant growth promoting substances. The use of beneficial soil microorganisms such as PGPR for sustainable and safe agriculture has increased in last decade, because of the negative impact of artificial fertilizer. The present study involves developing two formulations viz., Talc and liquid and to evaluate the efficacy of potential plant growth promoting rhizobacteria as foliar formulation on the growth and development of maize plant. Five different isolates viz., F320,F353,F412,F212,F119 were used in the present study and maize seeds were treated with PGPR isolates for evaluation of germination using paper towel method, green house condition and their growth parameters were measured. Solid formulation and foliar spray were prepared out of these 5 isolates for field trials. Talc was used as carrier material for preparing solid formulation by mixing isolates with sterilized carrier material and used in field trials. The broth of the isolates was filtered and the filtrate was used as liquid formulation. Observation on germination percentage, growth and development of maize plant was recorded. The study concluded that liquid and talc formulation has shown better results when compared to that of control. Among these five isolates F320 has shown better results and foliar spray has shown greater impact in plant growth when compared to that of talc formulation in field study.

Keywords

• plant growth promoting rhizobacteria
• paper towel method
• pot experiment
• formulation
• foliar spray
• field trails.