Functional and phylogenetic diversity of cultivable rhizobacterial endophytes of sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench].

A diverse group of bacteria colonize the exo- and endo-rhizospheres of sorghum and play a critical role in its tolerance to drought and other abiotic stresses. Two hundred and eighty endophytic bacteria were isolated from the surface-sterilized roots of four sorghum cultivars that were grown on three soil types at three different phenological stages of growth. The isolates were subjected to in vitro screening for their plant growth promoting traits.