Abstract

Sheezan Rasool,Bharti Sharma and Sehreen Rasool

Rhizobium plays an important role in agriculture by fixing nitrogen. It is symbiotic bacterium and leads to the formation of root nodules in legume plants. In this study, we isolated the Rhizobium sp. from the root nodules of Vicia sativa and characterized them by means of various biochemical tests. We isolated the Rhizobium sp. on YEMA. These bacteria were rod shaped, Gram negative, motile, acid and mucous producing. Strain was positive for methyl red and showed catalase, citricase, urease, nitrate reductase, oxidase, amylase and β-hemolytic activity. The strain also utilized D-glucose and sucrose as a carbon source but not lactose. They were found to be temperature and salt tolerant. Farmers of the region can be made aware to cultivate Vicia sativa like leguminous plants as forage crops and to use cost effective biofertilizers which can improve their socio-economic status as well.