• Mycobiology
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.19-22
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• 2005

We investigated the effect of nitrogen fixing Azotobacter bioinoculant on the mycelial growth and the rate of substrate utilization by Pleurotus eous. The synergistic or antagonistic role of the microorganism during dual culturing with the mushroom or the competitor molds Trichoderma viride, and Trichoderma reesi was studied. Azotobacter was inhibitory to the molds, which are competitive to the mushroom in the seed spawn substrate, but was synergistic towards the mushroom. The growth, substrate utilization potential as total nitrogen content and cellulase enzyme activities of the mushroom in the seed spawn substrate were also enhanced in the presence of the bioinoculant at lower inoculum concentrations, upto 5 ml broth culture per spawn bottle.

• Mycobiology
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• v.42 no.2
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• pp.158-166
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• 2014

In this study, bacterial strains were isolated from soils from 30 locations of Samcheok, Gangwon province. Of the isolated strains, seven showed potential plant growth promoting and antagonistic activities. Based on cultural and morphological characterization, and 16S rRNA gene sequencing, these strains were identified as Paenibacillus species. All seven strains produced ammonia, cellulase, hydrocyanic acid, indole-3-acetic acid, protease, phosphatase, and siderophores. They also inhibited the mycelial growth of Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. radicis-lycopersici in vitro. The seven Paenibacillus strains enhanced a range of growth parameters in tomato plants under greenhouse conditions, in comparison with non-inoculated control plants. Notably, treatment of tomato plants with one identified strain, P. polymyxa SC09-21, resulted in 80.0% suppression of fusarium crown and root rot under greenhouse conditions. The plant growth promoting and antifungal activity of P. polymyxa SC09-21 identified in this study highlight its potential suitability as a bioinoculant.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.184-192
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• 2006

Six-hundred bacterial strains from human milk and milk from Sahiwal cows, Holstein Friesian cows, and buffaloes were screened for their ability to suppress phytopathogenic fungi under in vitro conditions. A consortium of 3 strains, viz., Bacillus lentimorbus B-30486 (B-30486), B. subtilis B-30487 (B-30487), and B. lentimorbus B-30488 (B-30488), isolated from Sahiwal cow milk resulted in better biological control and plant-growth promotion than single-strain treatments. For commercial-scale production of a bioinoculant, the solid-state fermentation of sugarcane agro-industrial residues, i.e., molasses, press mud, and spent wash, using the consortium of B-30486, B-30487, and B-30488, resulted in a value-added product, useful for enhancing plant growth. The application of the consortium to sugarcane fields infested with Fusarium moniliforme and Colletotrichum falcatum resulted in a reduction of mortality and significantly higher (P=0.05) plant height, number of tillers, and cane girth when compared with the control. Furthermore, under field conditions, the treatment of sugarcane with the consortium resulted in significantly (P=0.05) greater plant growth compared with nonbacterized plants. Accordingly, this is the first report on the effective use of bacteria isolated from milk for biological control and enhancing plant growth under field conditions. Furthormore, a solid-state fermentation technology was developed that facilitates the economic utilization of agro-industrial residues for environmental conservation and improving plant and soil health.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.36 no.5
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• pp.290-303
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• 2003

Modern agriculture has been heavily dependent on chemical fertilizers to meet the food demands of ever increasing population. Progressive depletion of major plant nutrients in soil due to intensive cultivation practices has also necessitated the use of higher dose of chemical fertilizers particularly in soils where the organic matter content is very low. Indiscriminate use of chemical fertilizers and pressure on agriculturists to enhance per area crop yields has led to fast depletion of fossil fuel resources with concomitant increase in the prices of chemical fertilizers and also led to environmental pollution. Hence, the current trend throughout the world is to explore the possibility of using alternate nutrient sources or increasing the efficiency of chemical fertilizers by supplementing them with organic fertilizers and bioinoculants comprising largely microbes like, bacteria, fungi, algae etc to enhance nitrogen and phosphates in the soil thus creating a sustainable agricultural environment. Among the different microbial inoculants or biofertilizers, Azospirillum could be a potential candidate due to its non specific host root colonization. It had the capability to fix $N_2$ in wide pH regimes and even in presence of combined nitrogen. Azospirillum inoculation can increase the crop yield to 10-25% and substitute 25% of recommended doses of nitrogenous fertilizers. Apart from nitrogen fixation, Azospirillum is also involved in the root improvement, the activity which was attributed to an increase in the rate of water and mineral uptake by roots. The ability of Azospirillum to produce phytohormones was reported to enhance the root respiration rate, metabolism and root proliferation. They have also been reported to produce polyhydroxybutyrate, that can be used as a biodegradable thermosplastic. A lot of studies have addressed improvements in enhancing its efficiency to fix nitrogen fixation and hormone production.