title: Chromium-reducing and plant growth-promoting Mesorhizobium improves chickpea growth in chromium-amended soil.
abstract: Mesorhizobium strain RC3, isolated from chickpea nodules, tolerated chromium up to 500 mug/ml and reduced it by 90% at pH 7 after 120 h. It produced plant growth-promoting substances, both in the presence and absence of chromium. Strain RC3 produced 35 mug indole acetic acid/ml in Luria Bertani broth with 100 mg tryptophan/ml, which decreased with an increase in chromium concentration. Chromium application to soil at 136 mg/kg was toxic to chickpea plants but when RC3 at 136 mg/kg was also added, it increased the dry matter accumulation, number of nodules, seed yield and grain protein by 71, 86, 36 and 16%, respectively, compared to non-inoculated plants. Nitrogen in roots and shoots were increased by 46 and 40%, respectively, at 136 mg Cr/kg. The bio-inoculant decreased the uptake of chromium by 14, 34 and 29% in roots, shoots and grains, respectively.
authors.affiliation: Department of Agricultural Microbiology, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh 202002, India.
authors.forename: Parvaze Ahmad
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Wani
authors.forename: Md Saghir
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Khan
authors.forename: Almas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zaidi
mesh_terms: D001673:Biodegradation, Environmental; D002857:Chromium / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D029863:Cicer / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000382:microbiology*; D020560:Proteobacteria / Q000378:metabolism*; D012989:Soil Pollutants / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D013559:Symbiosis / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D012989:Soil Pollutants; D002857:Chromium