A COMPOSITION AND A METHOD FOR ALLEVIATING SALINITY STRESS IN GROUNDNUT USING ENDOPHYTES AND RHIZOBIUM

A composition and method (100) for alleviating salinity stress in groundnut, comprises of: conducting PGPR traits by preparing an agar medium under control and salt-stressed conditions; preparing YEM broth by supplementing with 0.1-5% w/v of NaCl and without salt stressed condition, inoculating the prepared medium with endophytes and incubated for 48 h at 28±2 °C; wherein 0.5-5% of endophytic bacteria (1× 107 CFU/ml) containing rhizobial and passenger endophytes is inoculated separately from the bacterial inoculates and cultured in a shaker; culturing 2 ml of mid logarithmic phase endophytic bacteria in the prepared liquid YEM medium; selection of salt tolerant endophyte grown for 22-26 hours in liquid YEM medium at 28±2 °C under suitable conditions treating with groundnut seeds wherein the surface of the seeds are sterilized with 65-84% ethanol for 1-5 minutes, and then rinsed with sterile distilled water and collecting root exudates of groundnut for PGP confirmation.