Forty-six Rhizobium isolates from legume root and stem nodules were examined for their phosphate-solubilizing ability on Pikovskaya's agar medium. Rhizobium isolates from root nodules of Cassia absus, Vigna trilobata and three strains from Sesbania sesban showed zone of tricalcium phosphate (TCP) solubilization. The isolate from C. absus showed maximum solubilization (620 μg/ml) after 12 d of incubation, while the Rhizobium sp. strain 26 (from S. sesban) showed the least amount (150 μg/ml) of phosphate solubilization. Among the carbon sources tested for their ability to solubilize TCP, maximum solubilization (620 μg/ml) was observed in glucose by Rhizobium isolate from C. absus. Phosphate solubilization increased with increase in glucose concentration steeply up to 2% and slowly above this concentration in four isolates. Among the nitrogen sources tested, maximum solubilization (620 μg/ml) was observed in ammonium sulphate by Rhizobium isolate from C. absus.

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Twenty six Rhizobium strains isolated from root nodules of Sesbania sesban were studied for chitinase activity on chitin agar plates. Among them, only 12 strains showed chitinase activity. The strain showing the highest chitinase activity was selected based on maximum clear zone/colony size ratio on chitin agar plates and chitinase activity in culture filtrate. The strain was identified as Rhizobium sp. which showed a high degree of similarity with Rhizobium radiobacter (=Agrobacterium radiobacter). The cultural and nutritional conditions were optimized for maximum chitinase activity. The Rhizobium sp. exhibited maximum chitinase activity after 36 h of incubation, at neutral pH. Among the different nutritional sources, arabinose and yeast extract were found to be good inducers for chitinase activity. Rhizobium sp. could degrade and utilize dead mycelia of Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus niger, Curvularia lunata, Fusarium oxysporum and Fusarium udum.

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Nodulation characteristics in five species of Indigofera viz., I .trita, I. linnaei, I. astragalina, I. parviflora and I. viscosa was studied at regular intervals on the plants raised in garden soil. Among the species studied, highest average number of nodules per plant of 23 with maximum sized nodules of 8.0 mm diameter was observed in I. astragalina. Biochemical analysis of root nodules of I. astragalina revealed that the leghaemoglobin content of nodules and nitrogen content of root, shoot, leaves and nodules were gradually increased up to 60 DAS, and then decreased with increase in age. Rhizobium isolates of five species of Indigofera were isolated and screened for enzymatic activities and total cellular protein profiles. All the five isolates showed nitrate reductase, citrase, tryptophanase and catalase activity while much variation was observed for enzymes like gelatinase, urease, caseinase, lipase, amylase, lysine decarboxylase and protease activities. Among the isolates studied, only the isolate from I. viscosa has the ability to solubilize the insoluble tricalcium phosphate. All the Rhizobium isolates exhibit similarity in protein content, except the isolate from I. viscosa which showed one additional protein band.

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