Characterization of epiphytic bacteria isolated from chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) nodules

Twenty eight isolates associated with the nodule surface of two chickpea cultivars, that is, reverted non-nodulating (ICC4993NN(R)) and normal chickpea (HC5) cultivars were isolated. All of them were found to be Gram positive. The isolates NE81, NE82 from cv ICC4993NN(R) and NE1043 from cv HC5 inhibited the growth of isolates NE84, NE44, NE45, NE32, NE16-1, NE32, NE84, NE44, NE19, NE26 and NE14, NE53, NE16-2, NE18, NE1043, respectively. However, some of these nodule epiphytic bacteria promoted the growth of mesorhizobial isolates from chickpea. The co-inoculation of these nodule epiphytes with mesorhizobial isolate resulted in significant increase in nodulation and shoot dry weight in chickpea as compared to the inoculation only with nodule epiphytes.   Key words: Chickpea, nodules, epiphyte, growth inhibition.