Ecology, Environment and Conservation Paper

ANTAGONISTIC ACTIVITY OF PLANT GROWTH PROMOTING RHIZOBACTERIA ISOLATED FROM GROUND NUT (ARACHIS HYPOGEA) AND SORGHUM (SORGHUM BICOLOR) AGAINST SCLEROTIUM ROLFSII

M.V.N. Madhavi, R. Subhash Reddy, K. Manorama and P. Jayamma

Abstract

Sixty four (64) isolates of plant growth promoting rhizobacteria from Ground nut (Arachis hypogea) and Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) belonging to Bacillus (20), Pseudomonas (20), Rhizobium (12) and Azotobacter (12) were isolated and identified based on their morphological, physiological and biochemical characteristics using standard methods. These test isolates were screened in vitro for the antagonistic activity and the mechanism involved for their antagonism that is either HCN production or siderophore production against Sclerotium rolfsii