STUDIES ON ENDOPHYTIC Burkholderia sp. FROM SUGARCANE AND ITS SCREENING FOR PLANT GROWTH PROMOTING POTENTIAL

The occurrence of Burkholderia genus as plant endophyte indigenous to locally cultivated sugarcane crop was studied. Totally 22 endophytic isolates were obtained front TB-T medium plates of which 10 were found to he putatively endophytic in sugarcane. The morphological, biochemical and MAL DI-TOF MS analysis were done and 5 endophytic Burkholderia sp. isolates were identified. Among them, the isolate Burkholderiu sp. ES4 shown maximum: diazotrophic activity (total nitrogen: 11.9 mg g(-1) of malate; nitrogenase activity: 578,3 n mol C2H4 released h(-1) mg(-1) protcin), mineral solubilization activity (10.2mm, 8.2mm and 3.2 mm solublization zone of P, ZiO and CaCO3 respectively; available phosphorous: 0.72mg ml(-1)), antagonistic activity (54.56 percent inhibition of Colletotrichuni firki-um mycelium) and phytohormone production (IAA (16.09 mu g ml(-1)): GA (10.54 mu g ml(-1))) , thereby revealing its plant growth promoting potential. The LOS r RNA gene sequence of the isolate Burkholderia sp. ES4 was sequenced and its phylogenetic analysis shown that the isolate forms a monophyletic subclade within the plant-beneficial-environment' (PBE) Burkholderia group. Thus a potent native plant endophylic strain, Burkholderia sp. ES4 that could be developed as biofertilizer inocultim for sugarcane crop, was obtained in this study.