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International Conference on

Recent Trends in Environmental Sustainability

ESCON22/SAgri/21
Study of microbial diversity as plant growth promoting rhizobacteria for arid
agriculture

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Naheed Malik , Sohail Hameed , Madiha Habib , Sidra Sana , Sobia Irum
Department of Biosciences, University of Wah, Wah Cantt, Pakistan
Correspondence: dr.sohail.hameed@uow.edu.pk
Abstract
Soil bacteria used as Biofertilizers enhance the growth of plants and crops, increases crop yield,
are cost effective and eco-friendly microorganisms for sustainable Agriculture. The present
study aims to utilize the naturally existing soil bacteria, as Biofertilizers, that either get
associated in true (Brady)rhizobium – Legume root nodule forming symbiosis, or a-
symbiotically in the rhizosphere of non-leguminous plants that are referred to as Plant Growth
Promoting Rhizobacteria (PGPR). Both (Brady)rhizobium and PGPRs when associate with
plant roots can fix free atmospheric nitrogen, can solubilize insoluble soil phosphorous and
produce plant growth promoting hormones, individually or in combination, henceforth
resulting in a better crop yield. For this study a total of thirty (Brady)rhizobium and PGPRs
were isolated from soil of Talagang (32.9166°N, 72.0666°E), Fatheh Jhang (33.566°N,
72.642°E) & Jhang Bahtar (33.7660°N, 72.3609°E), also from nodules of Arachis hypogea,
Medicago sativa, Vicia sativa, as well as from rhizosphere of Zea maize, Allium cepa and
Lycopersicum esculentum. All the isolates were purified and characterized for their abilities to
fix nitrogen, solubilizing phosphorous and for producing plant growth hormone (indole acetic
acid). Thirty isolates were found positive for single or multiple beneficial traits. These isolates
comprising both (Brady)rhizobium and PGPRs were used as single strain inoculum
(biofertilizers) in three separate field experiments, two at Talagang on tomato and onion crops
and one at Fateh Jhang on maize crop. The initial observations at germination stage clearly
indicated 100 % seed germination as compared with the control plants without inoculation. The
increase in yield of various crops under high temperature and water stressed Arid climate
clearly indicates the agricultural sustainability that could be achieved by using environmental
friendly approach of multifunctional biofertilizers.
Keywords: diversity; rhizobacteria; biofertilizers; sustainable agriculture.

Department of Environmental Sciences, COMSATS University Islamabad, Vehari Campus

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