Studies on plant growth promoting bacteria from jeevamrit, a liquid bioformulation
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Date
2021-10-28
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College of Horticulture and Forestry Neri, Hamirpur (H.P.)
Abstract
The present investigation entitled “Studies on plant growth promoting bacteria from jeevamrit, a liquid
bioformulation” was carried out during 2021 with the aim to study the plant growth promoting (PGP) potential
of bacterial isolates in jeevamrit samples collected from three sites each at two different locations (Nadaun,
Hamirpur) of district Hamirpur of Himachal Pradesh. The pH, N, P and K contents of the six jeevamrit samples
ranged between 4.87-7.66, 1.49-2.65%, 0.004-0.052% and 0.059-0.111%, respectively. The culturable bacterial
count on nutrient agar medium varied between 1.76×107 to 10.45×107 cfu/ml of jeevamrit. Preliminary
screening of 112 bacterial isolates from jeevamrit revealed 66.96, 16.96, 66.96, 8.93 and 7.14% isolates to show
phosphate solubilization, potassium solubilization, nitrogen fixation, siderophore production and ammonia
production, respectively. Only 63.39, 27.68, 39.29, 33.04 and 38.39% isolates displayed antifungal activity
against phytopathogens viz. Alternaria sp., Fusarium sp., Sclerotium sp., Sclerotinia sp. and Colletotrichum sp.,
respectively. Out of 112, eighteen best isolates were selected, and none displayed hydrogen cyanide production
and only nine isolates showed phytase activity. Sixteen of 18 isolates showed inhibition of all phytopathogens
with maximum percent inhibition (43.75-61.44%) recorded for isolate NJA-13. The phosphate solubilization
index (1.69 to 12.25) on Pikovskaya’s agar was recorded highest for isolate HJA-21. The phosphate
solubilization (50.25-476.50 μg/ml) in NBRIP liquid medium containing tricalcium phosphate was found
maximum in isolate JJA-8. Bacterial isolates successfully produced indole-3-acetic acid (0.15 to 27.40 μg/ml),
highest produced by CJV-10. Of the eighteen isolates, only 16.67, 44.44, 38.89, 5.56 and 50% isolates exhibited
amylase, gelatinase, protease, cellulase and lipase, respectively. The four promising bacterial isolates NJA-13,
HJA-21, JJA-8 and CJV10 with multiple PGP traits were identified as Bacillus subtilis strain NJA-13 (Acc. No.
OK036919), Levilactobacillus brevis strain HJA21 (Acc. No. OK036950), Paucilactobacillus vaccinostercus
strain JJA8 (Acc. No. OK036952) and Bacillus safensis strain CJV 10 (Acc. No. OK036956), respectively, on
the basis of 16S rRNA gene technology. Seed bacterization with six bacterial isolates showed significant
enhancement of percent seed germination, root and shoot length, and vigour index with most isolates as
compared to control. Overall, the study revealed jeevamrit as a consortium of beneficial bacteria that can be
utilized as potential biofertilizers and biocontrol agents, and hence, reflects the beneficial effects of application
of jeevamrit in agriculture for crop production and protection.