Isolation and Characterization of Potential Phyllosphere Bioinoculants from Coriandrum sativum

Abstract Coriandrum sativum, also known as Coriander, is an annual herb in the apiaceae family. It is a common leguminous plant that grows abundantly in India. It has also been used for intercropping with short irrigation intervals. This plant is well-known for its ability to thrive in low-phosphate and drought-prone soils. This study aims to identify isolates from the phyllosphere region that have potential to be used as bioinoculants. Phyllosphere sample was collected from the native farmland and neighbourhood and screened for bioinoculants. A total of 98 bacterial strains were isolated and tested for production of ammonia. The nitrogen fixing strains were chosen based on their ammonia production. The selected 28 isolates were tested for various PGP factors such as HCN production, IAA production and Phosphate solubilization and also tested for extracellular enzymatic activities such as Amylase production, Protease degradation, Gelatinase activity, Catalytic activity and Lipase production, based on the results, few exhibited potent antagonistic activity against Colletotrichum capscici and Rhizoctonia solani. Based on the results of extracellular activities and antagonistic assay, five potential strains were subjected to germination study. One best PGPP was identified through amplification and sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene. The research uncovered a previously unknown diversity of plant growth promoting bacteria with enormous potential for use as a bioinoculant in agriculture. This study emphasises the importance of Phyllosphere microbiota for plant growth, in addition to identifying promising candidates for bioinoculation.