ISSN 2167-0447
International Journal of Agricultural Sciences ISSN 2167-0447 Vol. 5 (3), pp. 407-413, May, 2015. © International Scholars Journals
Full Length Research Paper
Isolation and characterization of Rhizobium sp. from a wild legume from BGSBU campus of District Rajouri, J&K
1Sheezan Rasool, 1Bharti Sharma and 2Sehreen Rasool
1School of Biosciences and Biotechnology, Centre for Biodiversity studies, BGSBU Rajouri, J&K, 185131.
2Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology Kashmir.
Corresponding author. E-mail: [email protected]
Abstract
Rhizobium plays an important role in agriculture by fixing nitrogen. It is symbiotic bacterium and leads to the formation of root nodules in legume plants. In this study, we isolated the Rhizobium sp. from the root nodules of Vicia sativa and characterized them by means of various biochemical tests. We isolated the Rhizobium sp. on YEMA. These bacteria were rod shaped, Gram negative, motile, acid and mucous producing. Strain was positive for methyl red and showed catalase, citricase, urease, nitrate reductase, oxidase, amylase and β-hemolytic activity. The strain also utilized D-glucose and sucrose as a carbon source but not lactose. They were found to be temperature and salt tolerant. Farmers of the region can be made aware to cultivate Vicia sativa like leguminous plants as forage crops and to use cost effective biofertilizers which can improve their socio-economic status as well.
Key words: Rhizobium, bromothymol blue, biofertilizers, Vicia sativa, Nitrogen.