Studies On The Influence Of Bt Crops With Special Reference To Bt Cotton On Soil Microflora In Marathwada Region

Abstract

Present study is significant to discover different aspects of influence of Bt cotton on the soil microbial diversity in cotton growing belts of Marathwada. It contains information related to population of soil microflora, its physiological, biochemical aspects and interaction of soil microorganisms under influence of Bt-cotton. newlineThe first part of thesis mainly devoted on collection of Bt and non-Bt cotton seed lines grown under different cotton belts of Marathwada, preparation of plot design for sowing for Bt and non-Bt seeds. Total eight lines of Bt and Non-Bt cotton seeds grown in Marathwada were collected from Nath seeds Pvt. Ltd., Aurangabad and local markets with trade name Bt and non-Bt cotton seed lines collected and grown under different cotton belts of Marathwada region, followed by preparation of plot design for sowing Bt and non-Bt seeds. Total eight lines of Bt and Non-Bt seeds were collected from Nath seeds Pvt. Ltd., Aurangabad and local markets with trade name Arjun-21 (NCEH-21), Chitra (NCEH-13), Express (NCEH-14), Jagannath-2 (NCEH-34), Jagannath Super (NCEH-26), Kashinath (NFHB -109), Yuvraj (NCEH-31), Ajeet 199 (ACH-199). newlineSeeds of Bt and Non-Bt cotton were planted in field at Partur, Dist. Jalna (Maharashtra). Plots were prepared separately for Bt and Non-Bt seeds. These plots were further used to collect soil samples at different stages of plant growth such as vegetative, flowering and fruiting. Soil microbial analysis was done specially at vegetative, flowering and fruiting stages from Bt and Non-Bt soils. Isolation of rhizosphere and non-rhizosphere fungi from Bt and non-Bt soils was done on Martin s Rose Bengal agar medium containing streptomycin sulphate (Martin, 1950), potato dextrose agar and Czapek s dox agar by serial dilution plate count technique (Waksman, 1927) and soil plate method (Warcup,1950). newlineIdentification of fungi was done on the basis of vegetative and reproductive structures as described by Barnett and Hunter (1972), Gilman (1957) and Subramanian (1971). Number of fungi per