title: Recovery of Bacillus and Pseudomonas spp. from the 'fired plots' under shifting cultivation in northeast India.
abstract: Soil samples, collected after the fire operations at agricultural sites under shifting cultivation in northeast India, were subjected to physico-chemical and microbial analysis. The fire affected various physico-chemical properties of the soil. Significant differences in pH and electrical conductivity were recorded in soil of fired and fallow plots. Significantly higher amounts of total organic carbon and nitrogen were estimated in fallow plots as compared to the fired. Difference in total phosphates was not significant. The fire operations resulted in stimulation of microbial communities. The bacteria were the most affected group followed by actinomycetes and fungi, respectively. The bacterial and actinomycetes counts were significantly higher in fired plots as compared to the fallow plots. The representative bacterial species recovered from the 'fired plots' belonged to the genus Bacillus and Pseudomonas. 16S rRNA analysis revealed their maximum similarity with B. clausii, B. licheniformis, B. megaterium, B. subtilis, B. thuringiensis, P. aeruginosa and P. stutzeri. Most of these species were found to be positive for phosphate solubilization and antagonism in plate based assays. In view of the importance of Bacillus and Pseudomonas species in plant growth promotion and biocontrol, recovery of these species after fire operations is indicative of the microbiological merit of shifting cultivation.
authors.affiliation: Biotechnological Applications Theme, G.B. Pant Institute of Himalayan Environment and Development, Kosi-Katarmal, Almora, 263643, Uttarakhand, India. anita@gbpihed.nic.in
authors.forename: Anita
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pandey
authors.forename: Shivaji
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chaudhry
authors.forename: Avinash
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sharma
authors.forename: Vipin Singh
authors.initials: VS
authors.lastname: Choudhary
authors.forename: Mukesh Kumar
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Malviya
authors.forename: Swati
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chamoli
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Rinu
authors.forename: Pankaj
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Trivedi
authors.forename: Lok Man S
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Palni
mesh_terms: D000383:Agriculture / Q000379:methods*; D001419:Bacteria / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D002244:Carbon / Q000032:analysis; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D004553:Electric Conductivity; D005390:Fires; D005658:Fungi / Q000254:growth & development; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D007194:India; D009584:Nitrogen / Q000032:analysis; D010710:Phosphates / Q000032:analysis; D010802:Phylogeny; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / Q000235:genetics; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D012987:Soil / Q000032:analysis; D012988:Soil Microbiology
chemical_list: D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal; D010710:Phosphates; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S; D012987:Soil; D002244:Carbon; D009584:Nitrogen