Combined Inoculation Effect of Pink Pigmented Facultative Methylobacterium (PPFM) and other Bioinoculants on Cotton

A field study was conducted to evaluate the individual and combined inoculation effect of PPFM and other bioinoculants on cotton. Initially a detailed survey was conduced in different agro climatic zones of Tamilnadu to isolate an efficient strain of Methylobacterium. Isolated PPFM strains were analyzed through polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for the presence of mdh gene using mdh gene specific probes. Only the isolates having the expected size of mdh gene product were chosen for further studies. Selected isolates were screened for plant growth promoting efficiency through vigor index studies. In the field trial conducted with cotton crop, PPFM was inoculated with a diazotroph and a phosphate solubilizing organism (PSB) as individual and combined inoculant treatments. PPFM inoculation has resulted in increased seedling vigor, drymatter production and yield. Inoculation of all the three inoculants together has resulted in increased rhizosphere population of the inoculants, drymatter production and yield.