BHU scientists develop bacteria by genetic engineering to boost paddy

Varanasi: Banaras Hindu University scientists have successfully developed bacteria by genetic engineering of glucose utilization in a plant-associated bacterium that leads to improved rice root colonization and shoot biomass.
The achievement was a part of a project funded by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) and was recently published in the journal ‘Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology’ (Springer Nature).
According to BHU spokesperson, CSIR senior research associate Vijay Shankar Singh and senior research fellow Sushant Rai, under the supervision of Prof Anil Kumar Tripathi of the School of Biotechnology, Institute of Science of BHU have genetically engineered glucose utilization capability in Azospirillum brasilense successfully.
Singh said that the engineered strain of Azospirillum brasilense was able to multiply itself in the root zone due to its newly acquired ability to utilize glucose. Inoculation of the engineered strain caused about 30-40% increase in the shoot biomass of rice seedlings.
According to him, plant growth promoting bacteria live in the root zone of several crops and promote their growth by producing auxin-like hormones which help in developing a robust root system of the plant. But, these bacteria can grow and multiply in the root zone only if they are able to utilize carbon compounds secreted by the plant roots.
Azospirillum brasilense Sp7 is very popular and frequently used bio-fertilizer for several agriculturally important crops but it is not able to multiply itself in the root zone of rice due to its inability to efficiently utilize glucose, which is secreted by rice roots.