Endophytes have a symbiotic relationship with the different parts of plants and could play a very important role in supporting the plant growth. In present study, 11 most efficient isolates were selected out of more than 200 endophytic bacteria isolated previously from roots of chickpea, field pea, Lucerne, wheat and oat and nodules of chickpea and field. To know their extent of establishment in different host and non-host tissues four host chickpea, field pea, wheat and oat were inoculated with these bacteria in sterilized sand in disposable coffee cups. To induce nodulation in chickpea and field pea were also inoculated with respective rhizobia. In chickpea at 15 d, isolate ORE 27, at 30 d isolates CNE 215 and ORE 35 and at 50 day in total 6 bacteria were able to enter the roots and exit as endophytic. In case of field pea all the 11 bacteria entered the roots after 30 d of growth, whereas in wheat and oat bacteria entrance was detected at 50d and not at 15 or 30d. In wheat 4 and in oat 6 bacterial isolates were detected as endophytic. Even at 50d, neither in chickpea nor in field pea nodules, no bacterial isolate was able to enter. In chickpea roots maximum endophytic colonization was observed by isolate PNE 92, in field pea by isolates CNE1 and PNE 17; in wheat and oat, isolate ORE 27 showed highest root endophytic colonization. No host specificity among endophytic bacteria and different hosts could be observed.
