ISOLATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF ENDOPHYTIC BACILLUS SPP. FROM PNEUMATOPHORE OF AVICENNIA ALBA WITH BIOCONTROL ACTIVITY AGAINST FUSARIUM OXYSPORUM

Abstract

The study was carried out to isolate, evaluate and characterize potential antibiotic producing bacteria from sediments of Bhitarkanika mangrove forest of India. A total of three strains of bacteria were isolated, identified and tested against rice pathogen Fusarium oxysporum. The isolates were characterized by using morphological, biochemical and molecular methods. All isolates were gram positive, endospore forming and most of the isolates were able to hydrolysis starch and urea; able to survive at 6% concentration of sodium chloride; optimum temperature for their growth was 37°C. PGPR activity assays were done among three Bacillus subtilis coded AN1, AN2 and AN11. All the isolates showed positive results for PGPR activity. Biocontrol activity was assayed against rice pathogen Fusarium oxysporum by well diffusion method and out of three isolates only AN11 demonstrated in vitro antagonistic activity. The partial 16S rDNA sequences of the isolated strains AN1, AN2 and AN11 showed 99% identity with Bacillus subtilis and were deposited in GenBank under accession numbers JX860846, JX860847 and JX860845 respectively.