PJB-2024-409
Title EXPLOR
Zainab Zobala Babar
Abstract
ABSTRACT: Endophytes are considered to possess the potential to serve as a valuable tool in the field of sustainable agriculture, offering a viable alternative to chemical fertilizers and pesticides. Syrian rue (Peganum harmala L.) is an important medicinal plant, and no report has been conducted regarding isolation of bacterial endophytes from the plant’s stem. This study focused on the selection of six endophytic bacterial isolates from stem of Syrian rue. chosen for their capacity to stimulate plant growth. Identification of the strains was accomplished through 16S rRNA gene sequencing, revealing the presence of Bacillus stercoris, B. tropicus, Staphylococcus simiae, Cladifontibacillus erzurumensis, B. subtilis, and B. mobilis. The bacteria were subjected to biochemical characterization and evaluated for their ability to promote plant growth and antagonistic activity. B. mobilis demonstrated significant potential for phosphate solubilization showing zones of 4.0±0.2mm and B. tropicus and B. mobilis exhibited the most favorable results in terms of siderophore, ammonia and HCN production. It was observed that all the isolates displayed diverse hydrolytic enzyme activities. The B. stercoris showed the highest cellulase activity (13.8±0.4mm). The most promising result for protease activity was shown by B. tropicus (7.6±0.5mm). Pectinase activity was shown by B. stercoris and C. erzurumensis forming the clear zones of 24±0.3mm. Furthermore, without tryptophan all the strains were found to produce small quantities of IAA with concentration of 4.9-5.9 µg/mL, and comparatively higher amounts in the presence of tryptophan with concentration of 10.6-12.8 µg/mL. Except for S. simiae, all the bacterial strains isolated in this study displayed potent antifungal activities against Aspergillus niger and Rhizoctonia solani. Additionally, the effects of inoculating endophytic bacterial isolates on the germination of seeds, as well as the growth of shoots and roots in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) were assessed. It was observed that seed germination activity of B. tropicus was significantly enhanced as compared to the uninoculated control. Thus, it can be concluded that these bacteria possess the potential to enhance plant growth and serve as biocontrol agents. The identified strains, particularly Bacillus tropicus and Bacillus mobilis, show promise as sustainable alternatives to chemical fertilizers and pesticides in agriculture.
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