Vol. 9, Issue 7 (2020)

Author(s):
Warjan Mundi, SK Gosal and Jupinder Kaur

Abstract:
The present study was conducted to assess the effect of selected pesticides at recommended dosage and higher concentrations on growth and plant growth promoting activities of nitrogen fixing biofertilizer culture Azotobacter. The growth kinetics of the culture were least affected by recommended concentrations of pesticides. Even, the application of various pesticides at recommended rates had no deleterious effect on the plant growth promoting activities (PGP) of Azotobacter as well. But, enormously high concentration of pesticides brought a progressive decline in the growth and PGP activities of the culture like high concentration of chlorpyrifos significantly lowered the IAA production of Azotobacter. Generally maximum inhibition to the growth and PGP activites of the Azotobacter was reported under insecticidal influence. Therefore, this study revealed an additional aspect of pesticide effect on growth and PGP activities of microbes.