Isolation, and Characterization of Indigenous Rhizobacteria from Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and Determining their Drought Tolerance

Abstract

Agricultural productivity is under serious threat as a result of the increased severity of droughts brought on by human activity and global warming. Hence, to ensure the security of the world's food supply, this has increased the demand for environmentally friendly alternatives. Numerous studies have associated the rhizobacteria that promote plant growth with the plants' adaptations to fluctuating environments. The present study was conducted over a period of 6 months, during which the drought tolerance potential of native bacteria from the Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) rhizosphere was evaluated. A total of 10 different bacteria were isolated from the rhizosphere of flowering-stage wheat plants growing in the departmental garden of SSJ University, Almora, Uttarakhand by serial dilution technique. After a biochemical analysis, their drought tolerance potential was investigated and growth was monitored. Out of a total of ten isolates, only three were able to grow at 25% PEG. The ideal temperature range for the growth of these 3 rhizobacterial isolates was found to be 28-37ºC. The present study highlights the role of rhizospheric bacteria in augmenting plant growth by providing drought tolerance.