Development of Co-aggregated Cells as Bioinoculants Using Plant Seed Powders – A Novel Delivery System for Rice Grown under Lowland Condition

Co-aggregation was attempted in Azorhizobium caulinodans ORS-571 with other agriculturally important microorganisms such as Azospirillum brasilense MTCC-125, Azotobacter chroococcum MTCC-446, Bacillus megatherium MTCC-3353, and Pseudomonas fl uorescens MTCC-4828 to develop coaggregates with multiple benefi ts using seed powders of diff erent plants viz., Moringa oleifera, Strychnos potatorum and Sappindus emaignatus. Among the diff erent treatments evaluated, the combination of Azorhizobium caulinodans ORS-571 and Azospirillum brasilense MTCC-125 with the plant seed powder of Moringa oleifera recorded the maximum co-aggregation of cells to the tune of 96.8%. Th e co-aggregates were also studied for their phyto-stimulatory eff ect such as seed vigour, plant height, plant dry weight, plant N content and endophytic colonization of A. caulinodans ORS-571 in rice var. ADT 43 grown under in vitro conditions. Th e co-aggregates of A. caulinodans and A. brasilense were found to be superior in positively augmenting the characters studied above.