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Epiphytic pink-pigmented methylotrophic bacteria enhance germination and seedling growth of wheat (Triticum aestivum) by producing phytohormone

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Abstract

Methylotrophic bacteria were isolated from the phyllosphere of different crop plants such as sugarcane, pigeonpea, mustard, potato and radish. The methylotrophic isolates were differentiated based on growth characteristics and colony morphology on methanol supplemented ammonium mineral salts medium. Amplification of the mxaF gene helped in the identification of the methylotrophic isolates as belonging to the genus Methylobacterium. Cell-free culture filtrates of these strains enhanced seed germination of wheat (Triticum aestivum) with highest values of 98.3% observed using Methylobacterium sp. (NC4). Highest values of seedling length and vigour were recorded with Methylobacterium sp. (NC28). HPLC analysis of production by bacterial strains ranged from 1.09 to 9.89 μg ml−1 of cytokinins in the culture filtrate. Such cytokinin producing beneficial methylotrophs can be useful in developing bio-inoculants through co-inoculation of pink-pigmented facultative methylotrophs with other compatible bacterial strains, for improving plant growth and productivity, in an environment-friendly manner.

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Acknowledgments

This research was supported and funded by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), New Delhi, India. The authors are thankful to Prof. S. P. Singh, Department of Botany, Banaras Hindu University, India for critical manuscript corrections and language editing.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. National Bureau of Agriculturally Important Microorganisms, Kushmaur, Maunath Bhanjan, 275101, India

    Kamlesh K. Meena, Manish Kumar, Mahesh S. Yandigeri, Dhananjaya P. Singh & Dilip K. Arora

  2. Department of Microbiology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA

    Marina G. Kalyuzhnaya

  3. Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, 110012, India

    Anil K. Saxena

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  1. Kamlesh K. Meena
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  2. Manish Kumar
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  3. Marina G. Kalyuzhnaya
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Correspondence to Kamlesh K. Meena.

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Meena, K.K., Kumar, M., Kalyuzhnaya, M.G. et al. Epiphytic pink-pigmented methylotrophic bacteria enhance germination and seedling growth of wheat (Triticum aestivum) by producing phytohormone. Antonie van Leeuwenhoek 101, 777–786 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10482-011-9692-9

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