Isolation and characterization of nickel and cadmium tolerant plant growth promoting rhizobacteria from rhizosphere of withania somnifera

Abstract

Plant growth promoting rhizobacteria PGPR are known to influence plant growth by various direct or indirect mechanisms. The present study aimed to isolate both nickel and cadmium tolerant plant growth promoting rhizobacterial communities of Withania somnifera. The representative PGPR strains of Bacillus, Pseudomonas and Azotobacter were tested for plant growth promoting activities and heavy metal tolerance pattern. The test rhizobacterium P-35 both metal tolerant with multiple PGP activities like IAA, ammonia, HCN, catalase etc. was subjected to seed germination test. Present study showed that seed inoculation with test bacterium significantly enhanced seed germination, root and shoot growth.