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PLANT ROOT ASSOCIATED BACTERIA FOR ZINC MOBILIZATION IN RICE

MUHAMMAD TARIQ, SOHAIL HAMEED, KAUSER A. MALIK AND *FAUZIA Y. HAFEEZ

Abstract: The activity of Plant Growth Promoting Rhizobacteria (PGPR) to mobilize indigenous soil zinc (Zn) in rice (Oryza sativa L.) rhizosphere was observed in a net house micro plot experiment and compared with available form of chemical Zn source as Zn-EDTA. The PGPR application alleviated the deficiency symptoms of Zn and invariably increased the total biomass (23%), grain yield (65%) and harvest index as well as Zn concentration in the grain. The inoculation had a positive impact on root length (54%), root weight (74%), root volume (62%), root area (75%), shoot weight (23%), panicle emergence index (96%) and showed the highest Zn mobilization efficiency as compared with the un-inoculated control. The PGPR colonized rice plants were more efficient in acquiring Zn from either added or indigenous source, than non-colonized plants. Zinc mobilization by PGPR was also confirmed in liquid culture medium. It was concluded that, selected PGPR strains can serve as efficient solubilizer of Zn, allowing farmers to avoid the use of costly chemical Zn fertilizer in rice crop.
 

National Institute for Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering (NIBGE), P.O. Box 577, Jhang Road, Faisalabad, 3800-Pakistan.
Corresponding author E-mail: fauzia@nibge.org, fauzia_y@yahoo.com, Tel: 92-41-2651475-79, 92-41-2551395, Fax: 92-41-2651472