ASSESSMENT OF PHYTOHORMONES PRODUCING CAPACITY OF STENOTROPHOMONAS MALTOPHILIA SSA AND ITS INTERACTION WITH ZEA MAYS L.

Abstract

In this paper we reported the isolation of Stenotrophomonas maltophilia SSA from roots of Solanum surrattense Burm. f., a weed growing at arid soil of district Attock, Pakistan. The isolate was characterized for morphological and biochemical attributes and was identified as Stenotrophomonas maltophilia SSA on the basis of 16S-rRNA partial sequence analysis. The population size varied from 106 -107 cfu g-1 fresh weight of root. Phytohormones: Indole-3-acetic acid, Gibberellic acid, trans-Zeatin riboside and Abscisic acid were found in culture supernatant as measured by high performance liquid chromatography. The bacterium used as inoculants on Zea mays L. seedlings showed significant increase in the growth and proline content of root and shoot both under normal and NaCl stressed conditions.