SEED GERMINATION ENHANCING ACTIVITY OF ENDOPHYTIC STREPTOMYCES ISOLATED FROM INDIGENOUS ETHNO-MEDICINAL PLANT CENTELLA ASIATICA

Abstract

Centella asiatica, a folk ethno-medicinal plant of Meghalaya was investigated for the isolation of endophytic actinomycetes and their performance in seed germination and seedling growth of Phaseolus vulgaris Linn was further tested. A total of thirty actinomycetes were isolated and tested for seed germination and seedling growth. Only two isolates CA10 and CA26 were showed, 100 percent germination and higher seedling growth comparison to control. It also revealed that germination percentage showed significant positive correlation with seedling length (r=0.826, p<0.05). The strains CA10 and CA26 were also evaluated for production of indole acetic acid which was quantified as 71µg/ml and 197µg/ml respectively. Based on morphological and biochemical criteria, the two isolates were tentatively identified as Streptomyces. From the present investigation, it can be suggested that the treatment of bean seeds with Streptomyces sp. might enhance seed germination and seedling growth.