Studies on influence of selected weeds on phosphorus solubilizing bacteria of Mizoram, northeast, India

Abstract

A weed is commonly defined as a plant that grow out of place and is competitive, persistent and pernicious. The common dominant weeds of Mizoram that are used for the study of the antibacterial activity are: Blumea lanceolaria, Spilanthes acmella, Bidens pilos and Chromolaena odorata. Generally, these weed species are dominant during cultivation and the early successional phase after shifting cultivation in north eastern India. Phosphorus solubilizing bacteria (PSB) play an important role in phosphorus nutrition by enhancing its availability to plants through release from inorganic and organic soil P pools by solubilisation and mineralization. Bacillus species produce 167 biological compounds active against bacteria, fungi, protozoa and viruses. Among the four common weeds tested, C. odorata gave the largest area of inhibition zone against the two bacteria tested i.e., B. subtilis and B. pumilus. The study revealed that, the weed plants C. odorata may be cultivated for modern therapeutics to prepare potent antibacterial drugs.