MOLECULAR IDENTIFICATION AND PLANT GROWTH PRO-MOTING ACTIVITIES OF ENDOPHYTIC PANTOEA SP. ISOLAT-ED FROM Zygophyllum album MEDICINAL PLANT

The present study revealed that Z. album medicinal plant which naturally inhabitant arid conditions, is an ecological niche for promising growth promoting bacterial endophytes (Pantoea sp. strains NGB-W48 and NGB-W53). These endophytes displayed multiple plant growth promoting traits (phosphate solubilization, IAA and siderophore pro-duction), without symptomatic injury. Inoculation of wheat plants with strains NGB-W48 and NGB-W53 along-with 50% reduced N- fertilizer dose, dramati-cally stimulated plant growth and in-creased the accumulated N in plant shoots compared to the uninoculated plants. This study indicates that bacterial endophytes isolated from medicinal plants possessing a vital role to improve plant growth and could be used as inoculants to enhance soil fertility and establish a sustainable crop production system.