Lai, W. A., Rekha P. D., A. B. Arun, and C. C. Young. 2006. Effect of free-and encapsulated cells of Bacillus subtilis on plant growth under gnotobiotic system. p.567-575. In Chinese Society of Soil and Fertilizer Sciences, and Soil Science Society of China(ed.) Proceeding of the 6th Cross Strait Conference on Soil Science and Fertilizer(vol.2) (in Chinese) Abstract: A novel encapsulated bio-inoculant was developed and the effect on plant growth promotion was tested. A plant growth promoting rhizobacterium strain CC-pg104 was isolated from pig manure and the species was identified as Bacillus subtilis based on 16S rRNA gene sequence, In-vivo biochmical characterization of the bacteria CC-pg104 show the activity of calcium phosphate solubilization, protease, amylase, cellulose, pectinase, α-glucosidase, and β-glucosidase, dinitrogenase and the ability for production of auxin, siderophore. Inoculation was introduced with cells suspension and cells entrapped in beads to quartz sand containing seed of Lectuca sativa L. in gnotobiotic system. After 21 days of growth. Shoot high was apparently increased by inoculation of immobilized cells of strain CC-pg104. Highest increase in root length was observed with CC-pg104 free-cell inoculation( 205% of control) next by plant inoculated with encapsulated CC-pg104 (176% of control). The cell counts of bacteria in rhizosphere soil and rhizoplane were measured and the number of free cell inoculated bacteria was 3.3 log CFU (cm of root) -1 in rhizosphere and 4.3 log CFU (cm of root) -1 on rhizoplane. Whereas, in the enoculated bacteria inoculated jars, The rhizospheric bacterial density was 7.5 log CFU (cm of root) -1 and density of rhizople bacteria was 5.6 log CFU ( cm of root) -1. Results of this research demonstrated that inoculation of encapsulated bacterial isolates promoted plant growth to their respective free cells and root colonization was improved by encapsulation of cells. And could be a novel and feasible technique for application in agriculture.
