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Utility of some nitrogen-fixing microorganisms in the phyllosphere of crop plants

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Summary

The utility of spraying some known N2-fixing microorganisms on rice leaves grown both in N-less sand culture and under field conditions was examined. The effect was compared with that of spraying a phyllosphere N2-fixing isolate of Klebsiella, KUPBR2, and application of nitrogenous fertilizers. All the growth parameters studied including dry weight and N-content were enhanced. Under field conditions number of tillers was increased by 26% withKlebsiella pneumoniae M5al and by 65% with Aphanothece. The dry weight of the plants was enhanced by 61–119%. The yield per 10 m2 was almost doubled with Aphanothece, Beijerinckia 8007,Mycobacterium flavum, K. pneumoniae M5al and KUPBR2. The increases observed withStreptomyces sp. G12 though less spectacular was significant at 1% level with respect to several growth parameters.K. pneumoniae M5al,M. flavum andStreptomyces sp. G12 exhibited nitrogenase activity both in laboratory culture and in association with rice plants.

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  1. A. S. Nandi

    Present address: Department of Botany, Samilani College, Bankura, W. Bengal, India

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Botany, University of Kalyani, 741235, Kalyani, India

    A. S. Nandi & S. P. Sen

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  1. A. S. Nandi
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  2. S. P. Sen
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Nandi, A.S., Sen, S.P. Utility of some nitrogen-fixing microorganisms in the phyllosphere of crop plants. Plant Soil 63, 465–476 (1981). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02370046

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02370046

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