Thesis (M.Sc.) - Cairo University - Faculty of Agriculture - Department of Microbiology

In order to improve the culturability and biomass production of rhizobacteria, we previously introduced plant-only-based culture media to replace chemically-synthetic ones. We herein attempted to widen the scope of plant materials suitable for the preparation of plant-only-based culture media. We chemically analyzed the refuses of turfgrass, cactus, and clover. They were sufficiently rich to support good in vitro growth of rhizobacteria isolates representing Proteobacteria and Firmicutes. They were also adequate and efficient to produce a cell biomass in liquid batch cultures. These culture media were as sufficient as artificial culture media for the cultivation and recovery of the in situ rhizobacteria of barley (Hordeum murinum L.). Based on culture-dependent (CFU plate counting) and culture-independent analyses (qPCR), mowed turfgrass, in particular, supported the highest culturable population of barley endophytes, representing >16% of the total bacterial number quantified with qPCR. This accurately reflected the endophytic community composition, in terms of diversity indices (S{u2019}, H{u2019}, and D{u2019}) based on PCR-DGGE, and clustered the plant culture media together with the qPCR root populations away from the artificial culture media. Despite the promiscuous nature of the plant materials tested to culture the plant microbiome

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