MORPHOLOGICAL, BIOCHEMICAL AND PLANT GROWTH PROMOTING CHARACTERIZATION OF Streptomyces spp. ISOLATED FROM RHIZOSPHERIC SOIL OF Capsicum annuum

In the present study, a total of 7 actinomycetes isolates were isolated from the rhizospheric soil of capsicum annuum collected from various agricultural sites of Nizamabad Telangana India and were characterized for morphological, biochemical and plant growth promoting ability. All the isolates showed well-marked growth on starch casein agar medium at pH 7.0 after incubation for 120 h at 37°C producing pinpoint to medium sized, slow growing, irregular to regular, flat to raised colonies possessing an earthy odour characteristic of actinomycetes. The microscopic studies showed that most of the isolates were Gram positive and they had filamentous, branched and coenocytic mycelia. Most of the isolates produced plant growth-promoting traits including indole acetic acid, hydrocyanic acid, phosphate solubilization, ammonia, siderophore, protease and cellulase production. Out of 7 bacterial isolates, 4 isolates showed IAA production, 6 of them showed side rophore production, 5 isolates showed HCN production, 6 isolates showed ammonia production, 2 isolates showed good P solubilization and 4 isolates showed protease and cellulase activity. It was concluded from the results that isolate NM-1 and NM-2 showed most of the plant growth promoting traits and hence, these isolates may have potential for useful development of potential inoculants/biofertilizers for increasing the growth and productivity of Capsicum annuum.