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IN VITRO INVESTIGATIONS TO EXPLORE THE TOXICITY OF FUNGICIDES FOR PLANT GROWTH PROMOTING RHIZOBACTERIA

FATHIA MUBEEN, MUNIR A. SHIEKH*, TAHIRA IQBAL*, QAISER M. KHAN, KAUSER A. MALIK AND FAUZIA Y. HAFEEZ**

Abstract: Various pesticides are used to protect different crops from pest attack but very little is known about the damaging effects of pesticide application on non-target, beneficial soil microflora. Present study was designed to explore the effect of fungicides on Plant Growth Promoting Rhizobacteria (PGPR) isolated from rhizosphere of wheat and other cereals. Different PGPR strains were tested In vitro to check their resistance against commercial formulation of diverse fungicides, at dose recommended for field application. Results were taken on the basis of the number of viable bacterial cells through plate count, fungicide resistance pattern through disc diffusion method. Comet assay was used for the first time, to assess the genotoxicity of fungicides for PGPR. Results indicate that fungicides viz., Alert Plus, Darosal and Mancozeb do have the inhibitory effect while Benlate have stimulatory effect on growth though the effect varies from strain to strain. No tested fungicides cause the genotoxicity.

National Institute for Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering (NIBGE), P.O. Box 577, Jhang Road, Faisalabad 3800-Pakistan.
* Department of Chemistry, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan.
Corresponding Author: fauzia_y@yahoo.com, fauzia@nibge.org