Isolation, characterization, and effect of phosphate-zinc-solubilizing bacterial strains on chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.)‎ growth

Abstract EN

Objective: Phosphate (P) and zinc (Zn) are essential plant nutrients required for nodulation, nitrogenfixation, plant growth and yield.

Mostly applied P and Zn nutrients in the soil are converted into unavailable form.

A small number of soil microbes have the ability to transform unsolvable forms of P and Zn to an available form.

P-Zn-solubilizing rhizobacteria are potential alternates for P and Zn supplement.

In the present study, the effect of two P-Zn-solubilizing bacterial strains (Bacillus sp.

strain AZ17 and Pseudomonas sp.

strain AZ5) was evaluated on the growth of chickpea plant.

Methodology: Both strains were purified from the rhizospheric soil of chickpea plant grown-up in sandy soil and rain-fed area (Thal desert).

In vitro, both strains solubilize P and Zn as well both strain produce IAA and organic acids.

In the field experiments, conducted in the rain-fed area, the positive influence of inoculation with both bacterial isolates AZ5 and AZ17 on chickpea growth was observed.

Results: The application of inoculum (strains AZ5 and AZ17) resulted in up to 17.47% and 17.34% increase in grain yield of both types of chickpea grown in fertilized and non-fertilized soil, respectively over noninoculated control.

Strain AZ5 was the most effective inoculum, increasing up to 17.47%, 16.04%, 26.32%, 22.53%, 26.12% and 22.59% in grain yield, straw weight, nodules number, dry weight of nodules, Zn uptake and P uptake respectively, over control.

Conclusion: These results indicated that Pseudomonas sp.

strain AZ5 and Bacillus sp.

strain AZ17 can serve as effective microbial inocula for chickpea, particularly in the rain-fed area