Research Projects

Plant-microbe interaction has significant potential for enhancing plant development, suppressing pathogens, and inducing stress tolerance. However, there are bottlenecks in using plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria to increase crop yield and productivity, such as exact mechanistic action, compatibility with other native microbial flora, and feasible mass multiplication of PGPR. The research program aims to develop native PGPRs-based management approaches for growth promotion and stress tolerance in plants. The objectives include evaluating the potential of indigenous plant growth-promoting bacteria from rhizospheric soil, deciphering the physiological, biochemical, and molecular mechanisms involved in plant growth promotion and stress tolerance, examining the effect of soil factors and agricultural management practices on the PGPR population, and evaluating and developing inoculation methods for the introduction of PGPRs using various formulations or mass inoculation using a field-based fermenter. The study will use soil sampling from the District of Bulandshahr, Uttar Pradesh, India, and isolate indigenous PGPRs using a culture-dependent approach. Genetic characterization of selected bacterial isolates will be conducted, and pot trials will be conducted to understand the mechanistic action of PGPR and investigate plants' responses to PGPR inoculation under saline conditions. Multiplication of beneficial microbes will be done using a field-based fermenter in the farmer's field, using various substrates like biochar or gelatin. The characterization and identification of these indigenous PGPR will develop novel biofertilizer/biocontrol agents that could replace agrochemicals for sustainable agriculture goals.