POPULATION OF ENDOPHYTE AND RHIZOSPHERE BACTERIA ISOLATED FROM DIFFERENT CURCUMA SPECIES

Turmeric (Curcuma spp.) is widely used as a spice and herbal medicine in the world. Several groups of microorganisms, such as endophytic bacteria increase growth and quality of plants. This study determined bacterial population in nine different turmeric species cultivated with or without fertilizer application. The bacterial population in leaves of turmeric species cultivated without fertilizer were: C. zedoaria (Ze), 4 x 10(4); C. zanthorrhiza (Za), 0; C. amada (A), 0; C. longa strain 1 (L1), 13.3 x 10(4); C. longa strain 2 (L2), 272.5 x 10(4); C. longa strain 3 (L3), 217.5 x 10(4); C. longa strain 4 (L4), 96.5 x 10(4); C. longa strain 5 (L5), 171.5 x 10(4); C. longa Ryudai gold (RG), 13.5 x 10(4). While the bacterial population in leaves with fertilizer were: Ze, 0; Za, 2.3 x 10(4); A, 16.3 x 10(4); L1, 8.3 x 10(4); L2, 37.9 x 10(4); L3, 13.3 x 10(4); L4, 35.7 x 10(4); L5, 4.2 x 10(4); RG, 1.7 x 10(4). The population in stems without fertilizer were: Ze, 5 x 10(5); Za, 78 x 10(5); A, 23 x 10(5); L1, 165 x 10(5); L2, 300.5 x 10(5); L3, 11.7 x 10(5); L4, 8.5 x 10(5); L5, 33.4 x 10(5); RG, 5 x 10(5). The population in stems with fertilizer were: Ze, 2.4 x 10(5); Za, 2 x 10(5); A 28.2 x 10(5); L1, 63.3 x 10(5); L2, 64.3 x 10(5); L3, 13.7 x 10(5); L4, 18.9 x 10(5); L5, 41.3 x 10(5); RG, 37.7 x 10(5). The population of rhizosphere bacteria without fertilizer were: Ze, 8.7 x 10(6); Za, 14.7 x 10(6); A, 15.3 x 10(6); L1, 23.5 x 10(6); L2, 26 x 10(6); L3, 11 x 10(6); L4, 9.8 x 10(6); L5, 12.4 x 10(6); RG, 8 x 10(6). While the population of rhizosphere bacteria with fertilizer were: Ze, 9.4 x 10(6); Za, 9 x 10(6); A, 18.5 x 10(6); L1, 25.5 x 10(6); L2, 27.3 x 10(6); L3, 12.3 x 10(6); L4, 13.5 x 10(6); L5, 15.3 x 10(6); RG, 14 x 10(6) Overall results indicated that bacterial population differed with the turmeric species/strains, plant parts and fertilizer may be due to the differences of chemical compositions in the turmeric species/strains and parts, which could be determined in future studies.