Isolation of Fluorescent Pseudomonas spp. from Diverse Agro-Ecosystems of India and Characterization of their PGPR Traits

Abstract

Plant growth promoting rhizobacteria are known to rapidly colonize the rhizosphere and suppress soil borne pathogens at the root surface. Among the Gram-negative soil bacteria, Pseudomonas is the most abundant genus in the rhizosphere and the PGPR activity of some of these strains has been known for many years. From diverse agro-ecosystems of India, 75 strain of fluorescent Pseudomonas spp. were isolated and all of them were tested for various PGPR traits like phytohormones production, HCN, EPS, siderophores and extracellular enzymes like cellulases, proteases, ureases, chitosanases and/or chitinases. Results showed that 50% of the isolates produced phytohormones, 31% isolates produced exopolysaccharides, 29% isolates produced ammonia, 16% were positive for hydrogen cyanide, 20% produced siderophores, 5% exhibited cellulases activity, 31% produce protease, 15% produced urease, 76% showed chitosanase and 59% isolates showed chitinase activity. P17 strain isolated from Bari Brahmana soil of Jammu and Kashmir state, among the tested isolates is marked as a candidate strain, having a potential with plethora of PGPR features along with CCME activity would prove and open-up options to use this strain as a biological agent for eco-friendly organic agriculture.