Influence of aromatic hydrocarbons on growth, plant growth promoting activities and survival in soil of Azotobacter chroococcum strain JL104

Abstract

This study was undertaken to determine the effect of aromatic hydrocarbons on growth and plant growth promoting activities of Azotobacter chroococcum strain JL104. The organism was grown on Jensen’s media without sucrose, supplemented with different concentrations of aromatic hydrocarbons. Azotobacter chroococcum strain JL104 was able to grow in the presence of benzene, toluene, aniline and benzoic acid and was able to utilize these as sole carbon source as well. The culture showed the highest growth in presence of 0.5% concentrations of aniline and benzoic acid and 0.01% concentrations of benzene and toluene. Maximum indole acetic acid (IAA) production and acetylene reduction activity (ARA) were recorded with benzene and benzoic acid, respectively. Among other substituted benzene derivatives such as xylene, p-hydroxybenzoic acid, di-nitrophenol and di-chlorophenol, xylene was observed to be the least toxic and di-nitrophenol the most toxic hydrocarbon. The highest soil survival was found in soil amended with 1% sucrose however, the population of A. chroococccum strain JL104 declined continuously in unamended soil. Amongst various hydrocarbons, 0.1% toluene amended soil supported the maximum survival, indicating it to be least toxic aromatic hydrocarbon carbon in soil.

Keywords:

• Aromatic hydrocarbons
• Azotobacter
• growth
• plant growth promotion
• soil survival

Acknowledgments

First author is thankful to ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, for providing the infrastructure facilities to carry out the research and Indian Council of Agricultural Research for fellowship.