PRELIMINARY SURVEY OF MICROBIAL COMMUNITIES AND ENZYME ACTIVITIES OF SANDALWOOD RHIZOSPHERES IN DIFFERENT AGRO CLIMATIC ZONES IN KARNATAKA

Abstract

As there were no reports on the microbial profile of sandalwood rhizosphere, a survey was carried out throughout Karnataka for vesicular arbuscular mycorrhizal (VAM) fungi, Pseudomonas and Bacillus, and other micro-organisms. VAM, in general, showed maximum spore number in rhizosphere soil samples of sandalwood and grass. The least number of spores was observed in fallow soil. Enzyme activities, namely acid and alkaline phosphatases, and dehydrogenase were higher in sandalwood followed by grass rhizosphere soils. The least enzymatic activity was observed in fallow soils. VAM spores of seven species of
Glomus were isolated.