Soil yeast diversity and their plant growth promoting activities in some forest soils of Assam, North-East India

Abstract

Soil yeasts are important components of soil ecosystems and play crucial roles in maintaining soil health by participating in various soil processes. Soil yeasts are also gaining importance for their plant growth-promoting activities. However, yeasts are less explored in the soils of North-East India, including Assam. This study investigates the diversity of soil yeasts from two forest soils in Assam. A total of 44 yeast isolates were obtained from six different soil samples using two different techniques in four different culture media. Screening of all the isolates revealed their potential plant growth-promoting (PGP) activity, of which five isolates showing multiple PGP activities were considered for molecular identification. These yeasts with multiple PGP activities belong to the genera Meyerozyma, Candida, and Debaryomyces, respectively, which indicate the presence of diverse yeast species in the natural soils of Assam. The use of various media for yeast isolation might have helped in isolating different yeast species. These insights can channel sustainable agricultural practices involving soil yeasts and effective soil management strategies in the region.