Vol. 11, Special Issue 8 (2022)

Author(s):
Y Pravalika, G Padmaja, G Uma Devi and N Sandhya Kishore

Abstract:
Pigeon pea is the second most important crop in the world and Fusarium wilt is the major disease causing yield loss. Total of forty two rhizosphere soil samples were collected from different pigeon pea growing areas of Telangana state and total of one twenty four bacterial isolates were isolated from 42 soil samples. Diversity of bacterial microflora among all the bacterial isolates were characterized for their morphological, cultural and biochemical characteristics. There was a considerable variation in colony morphology both in type and number among bacterial isolates. Among the 124 rhizosphere isolates evaluated for Methyl red production, 49 isolates tested positive, 32 isolates tested positive for Voges Proskauer test, 103 isolates tested as positive for citrate utilization,86 isolates tested as positive for oxidase test, 98 tested positive for the catalase test only 23 isolates tested positive for the Indole test. Of the total 124 isolates tested, 53 isolates were KOH test positive and had negative Gram reaction while 71 tested negative for the KOH test and gave a positive Gram reaction. Thus, this study suggests that there is a considerable variability among rhizosphere bacterial isolates of pigeon pea.