Department of Agricultural Microbiology, University of Agricultural Sciences, Dharwad-580 005, India.
Initial laboratory experiments were conducted to study the effect of different concentrations of micronutrients, individually and in combinations on the growth of Bradyrhizobium japonicum strains in liquid culture conditions. The results obtained from the experiment revealed that, supplementation of zinc @ 75 ppm has recorded maximum log viable cell counts in strains SB-120 and VC-1 whereas strain UASD24M1 has recorded maximum log viable cell counts upon addition of molybdenum @75 ppm compared to control. Later, two strains of B. japonicum (SB-120 and USDA24M1) were tested for their survival in lignite carrier supplied with micronutrients for 90 days. Results revealed that, addition of micronutrients at an optimum concentration of 75ppm has supported the growth of both the strains.
