Isolation, characterization and evaluation of pink pigmented facultative methylotrophs (PPFMS) associated with paddy

Methylobacterium spp. are a group of bacteria known as pink-pigmented facultative methylotrophs (PPFMs) capable of growing on single carbon compounds such as formate, formaldehyde, and methanol as well as on a variety of multicarbon compounds having no carbon-carbon bonds. They are distributed ubiquitously in the plant phyllosphere and rhizosphere and have been isolated from many species of plants. Methylotrophs are known to play an important role in increasing crop yield and soil fertility. Methylobacterium is able to produce indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), suggesting that inoculation of PPFM bacteria could increase plant IAA concentrations and promote plant growth. The present programme envisages isolation, characterization and evaluation of Pink Pigmented Facultative Methylotrophs (PPFMs) associated with paddy. As part of the study conducted in the Department of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Agriculture, Vellayani, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, during 2015-2017.