COMPARATIVE-STUDIES ON MICROBIAL ACTIVITY IN AZOTOBACTER-CHROOCOCCUM INOCULATED WHEAT (TRITICUM-AESTIVUM) RHIZOSPHERE BY PLATE-COUNT AND MANOMETRIC METHODS
A. Pandey et St. Shende, COMPARATIVE-STUDIES ON MICROBIAL ACTIVITY IN AZOTOBACTER-CHROOCOCCUM INOCULATED WHEAT (TRITICUM-AESTIVUM) RHIZOSPHERE BY PLATE-COUNT AND MANOMETRIC METHODS, Microbiological research, 149(4), 1994, pp. 379-384
The serial dilution plate count method has been generally used to esti
mate the number of microorganisms in the rhizosphere soil. However, th
is method gives a partial view of the range of organisms and the micro
bial biomass in the soil. In view of finding an alternate method to es
timate the microbial activity, in the present study the plate count me
thod was compared with the respiratory activity of rhizosphere soil me
asured by a manometric technique. Two strains of Azotobacter chroococc
um were used for seed inoculation of three varieties of wheat. Periodi
cally, the titres of different groups of microorganisms, viz. bacteria
, actinomycetes, fungi and Azotobacter were determined by the plate co
unt method and the results obtained were correlated with the respirato
ry activity of rhizosphere soil.