Alleviation of salinity stress in rice plant by encapsulated salt tolerant plant growth promoting bacteria Pantoea agglomerans strain KL and its root colonization ability

AbstractThe present investigation indicates different effect of 0 to 8 % NaCl stress on plant growth promoting traits such as ACC (1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate) deaminase, phosphate solubilization, IAA (indole acetic acid), ammonia and exopolysaccharide production of Pantoea agglomerans strain KL isolated from salt stressed soil of Kolhapur, Maharashtra, India. In addition, we have studied the effect of encapsulated inoculum (EI) and free inoculum (FI) of P. agglomerans strain KL on alleviation of salinity stress (100 mM NaCl) and promotion of rice plant growth in pot experiment. Results of present study showed significant improvement in plant growth supplemented with EI in terms of increased length, biomass, photosynthetic pigment and decreased level of proline, malondialdehyde. Furthermore, EI supplemented plant exhibited decreased sodium and increased calcium and potassium uptake. Root colonization study revealed survival of encapsulated organism which was less after 10 days however significant nu...