Bio-herbicide effect of salt marsh tolerant enterobacter SP. I-3 on weed seed germination and seedling growth

Weeds are major challenges in crop cultivation and cause yield loss. The bacteria based bio-herbicides are emerging against chemical herbicides. This study was aimed to explore the bio-herbicide effect ofsalt marsh tolerantEnterobacter sp. I-3 on various weed species. The efficacy of I-3 bacterial isolates against weed growth was compared with I-4-5 bacterial strain. The bacterial strains, I-3 and I-4-5 inhibited the seed germination of Cyperus microiriaMaxim. Enterobacter sp. I-3 showed higher weed control activity than I-4-5. It was confirmed with growth reduction of C. microiriaMaxim. The seed germination of Digitaria sanguinalisL. weed was accelerated during the interaction of I-4-5 and it was drastically declined by I-3 bacterial culture. However,Alopecurus aequalisSobol. seeds treated with either I-3 or I-4-5 bacterial culture showed no significant germination inhibition. The results of this study suggested thatsalt marsh tolerantEnterobacter sp. I-3 can be applied as bacterial herbicides to control weeds in agricultural fields.