Physiological parameters of rice (Oryza sativa L.) as influenced by pink pigmented facultative methylotrophs (PPFM)

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted to assess the effect of PPFM on the growth of aerobic rice, at Integrated Farming System Research Station, Karamana, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, during summer, 2019 -2020 with the medium duration rice variety MO16 (Uma). The experiment was laid out in factorial randomised block design with [(5 x 2) + 2] treatments replicated thrice. The treatments comprised of five promising isolates of PPFM (P) obtained from the Department of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Agriculture, Vellayani, two methods of application (M) compared against two controls (C). The physiological parameters viz. chlorophyll content and proline accumulation had positive effect on application PPFM. The isolate PPFM 38 resulted in higher chlorophyll content and proline accumulation at both panicle initiation stages. Method of application did not show any significant difference in the chlorophyll content of rice whereas, the proline accumulation was found to be significantly higher with seed treatment with PPFM 38. The combined effect of PPFM and method of application was observed to be superior for the above mentioned physiological parameters significantly higher content at p5m2 both at panicle initiation and flowering stages.