Evaluation of pseudomonas fluorescens For plant growth promoting traits and Biocontrol activities against red root Rot disease in tea plants

Abstract

Tea is an aromatic beverage prepared from young tender leaves of newlineCamellia sinensis O Kuntze It is the chief cash crop in India and it newlineoccupies a vital place in the national economy Added to that tea delivers newlinemany health benefits to humans For proper maintenance of tea bushes and to newlineobtain high yield well balanced fertilization and manuring are mandatory in newlinetea cultivation Tea plants are frequently harvested and pruned causing both newlinephysical and physiological stress newlineMoreover the humid climatic conditions and heavy rainfall where newlinetea is cultivated lead to exposure of many fungal diseases Amongst these red newlineroot rot caused by Poria hypolateritia Berk ex Cooke is very important newlinebecause it affects entire plants resulting in sudden death of bushes and severe newlinecrop losses The high cost of chemical fertilizers and their adverse effect on newlinethe environment have led to alternative strategies including the use of newlinebiofertilizers Currently very little information is available on plant growth newlinepromoting microbes and their biocontrol activity in tea plants especially in newlinerespect of the red root rot disease Therefore the present investigation was newlineundertaken to screen and exploit indigenous plant growth promoting newlinerhizobacteria PGPR particularly Pseudomonas fluorescens as a biofertilizer newlineand enhancer of plant growth as well as a biocontrol agent against root disease newline newline