PHENOTYPIC IDENTIFICATION AND BIOCHEMICAL STUDIES OF BACTERIA ASSOCIATED WITH RHIZOSPHERIC SOIL OF GINGER (ZINGIBER OFFICINALE L.)

Abstract

ABSTRACTZingiber officinale L. is a common condiment for various foods and a long history of important traditional Medicine herb for the treatment of ailments and body disorders. Soil microorganisms are very important as almost every chemical transformation taking place in soil involves active contributions from soil microorganisms. In contrast, other soil microorganisms are pathogenic to plants and may cause considerable damage to crops. Large numbers of pathogenic microorganisms are routinely found in the soil and many can infect the plant through the roots. Through the current study describes the ginger rhizome associated soilborn bacterial strains. Rhizosphere bacteria were isolated from soil around the root zones of ginger fields. This study reports results concerning the isolation and identification of bacteria on the morphological basis and biochemical analysis. Ten species of bacteria belonging to eight different genera viz., Acidovorax temperans, Arthrobacter sp., Burkholderia pseudomallei, B. cepacia , Aeromonas hydrophila, A. veronii, Cupria-viridis sp., Bacillus sp., Flavobacterium odoratum, Oscillospira sp. were isolated and processed for identification by their enzymatic activity and carbohydrates utilization.