EFFECTS OF GIBBERELLIC ACID AND INDOLE ACETIC ACID PRODUCING AZOTOBACTER SPP. ON THE GROWTH OF CICER ARIETINUM L. (VARIETY - PHULE G 0517)Pranay D. Abhang, Mukund S. Ambawade, Dattatray M. Jadhav and Girish R. PathadeAbstract The modern agriculture is exclusively based on externally applied agrochemicals that make the soil fertility vulnerable. The external application of soil-borne bacteria is the upcoming sustainable system which will maintain the soil fertility and simultaneously enhances the plant growth. The total of 15 bacterial isolates belonging to Azotobacter spp. were isolated from different rhizospheric soils collected from different agricultural fields of Pune district. All the isolates were screened for their plant growth promoting traits, i.e. Gibberellic Acid (GA) and Indole Acetic Acid (IAA) production and were characterized biochemically. Out of these 15 isolates 3 (Azo1, Azo2 and Azo3) isolates showed highest GA (0.10, 0.15 and 0.30 mg/ml) and IAA (0.29, 0.25 and 0.15 mg/ml) production efficiency. These three promising isolates showed positive effects on growth and health of chickpea (Cicer arietinum L). |