Effect of metal tolerant plant growth promoting Bradyrhizobium sp. ( vigna) on growth, symbiosis, seed yield and metal uptake by greengram plants

The nickel and zinc tolerant plant growth promoting Bradyrhizobium sp. ( vigna) RM8 was isolated from nodules of greengram, grown in metal contaminated Indian soils. The plant growth promoting (PGP) potentials of strain RM8 was assessed both in the presence and absence of nickel and zinc under in vitro conditions. Strain RM8 tolerated a high level of nickel (300 μg ml −1) and zinc (1400 μg ml −1) on yeast extract mannitol agar medium. Bradyrhizobium sp. ( vigna) strain RM8 produced 13.3 μg ml −1 of indole acetic acid in Luria Bertani broth at 100 μg ml −1 of tryptophan which increased to 13.6 μg ml −1 at 50 μg Ni ml −1 and 13.5 μg ml −1 at 300 μg Zn ml −1. Strain RM8 was positive for siderophore, HCN and ammonia both in the absence and presence of nickel and zinc. The PGP activity of this strain was further evaluated with increasing concentrations of nickel and zinc using greengram as a test crop. The bio-inoculant enhanced the nodule numbers by 82%, leghaemoglobin by 120%, seed yield by 34%, grain protein by 13%, root N by 41% and shoot N by 37% at 290 mg Ni kg −1 soil. At 4890 mg Zn kg −1 soil, the bioinoculant increased the nodule numbers by 50%, leghaemoglobin by 100%, seed yield by 36%, grain protein by 13%, root N by 47% and shoot N by 42%. The bioinoculant strain RM8 reduced the uptake of nickel and zinc by plant organs compared to plants grown in the absence of bioinoculant. This study suggested that the bioinoculant due to its intrinsic abilities of growth promotion and attenuation of the toxic effects of nickel and zinc could be exploited for remediation of metal from nickel and zinc contaminated sites.