Alleviation of salinity stress in rice plant by encapsulated salt tolerant plant growth promoting bacteria Pantoea agglomerans strain KL and its root colonization ability

The present investigation indicates the effects of 0 to 8% NaCl stress on plant growth promoting traits such as ACC (1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate) deaminase, phosphate solubilization, IAA (indole acetic acid), ammonia and exopolysaccharide production of Pantoea agglomerans strain KL isolated from salt-stressed soil of Kolhapur, Maharashtra, India. We have studied the effect of encapsulated inoculum (EI) and free inoculum (FI) of P. agglomerans strain KL on the alleviation of salinity stress (100 mM NaCl) and promotion of rice plant growth in the pot experiment. The present study showed significant improvement in plant growth supplemented with EI in terms of increased length, biomass, photosynthetic pigment and decreased level of proline, malondialdehyde. Furthermore, EI supplemented plant exhibited decreased sodium and increased calcium and potassium uptake. Root colonization study revealed the survival of encapsulated organism which was less after 10 days. However, a significant number of colony forming unit were noted after 20 and 30 days. In addition, the scanning electron microscopic analysis of salt-stressed plant root showed tremendous root colonization by EI. Hence, the present study demonstrates the potency of P. agglomerans strain KL in the expression of plant growth promoting traits and amelioration of salt stress by EI.