Supplementary Table 1.Colony characters of the bacteria isolated from Okon’s medium. SRI, system research intensification; OUAT, Orissa University of Agriculture and Technology; LTFE, long term fertilizer experiment; CRRI, Central Rice Research Institute.

Location / Isolate no. / Form / Colour / Elevation / Margin / Size (mm) / Consistency
SRI field (Central farm, OUAT / As1 / Wrinkled / Dark pink / Flat / Entire / 0.60-0.75 / Non slimy
As1a / Circular / White / Plicate / Entire / 0.95-1.00 / Gummy
As2 / Wrinkled / Dark pink / Flat / Entire / 0.60-0.75 / Non slimy
As2a / Wrinkled / Dark pink / Flat / Entire / 0.60-0.75 / Non slimy
As2b / Circular / Fluorescent / Flat / Entire / 0.65-0.75 / Not gummy
As2c / Circular / White / Plicate / Entire / 0.95-1.00 / Gummy
LTFE field (Central farm, OUAT) / As3 / Wrinkled / Dark pink / Flat / Entire / 0.60-0.75 / Non slimy
As3a / Circular / White / Flat / Entire / 0.55-0.70 / Semi transparent
As3b / Circular / Fluorescent / Flat / Entire / 0.65-0.75 / Not gummy
As3c / Circular / White / Plicate / Entire / 0.95-1.00 / Gummy
As3d / Circular / White / Low convex / Entire / 0.95-1.00 / Slimy
CRRI field 1 / As4 / Wrinkled / Dark pink / Flat / Entire / 0.60-0.75 / Non slimy
As4a / Circular / Fluorescent / Flat / Entire / 0.65-0.75 / Not gummy
As5 / Wrinkled / Dark pink / Flat / Entire / 0.60-0.75 / Non slimy
As5a / Circular / Fluorescent / Flat / Entire / 0.65-0.75 / Not gummy
As6 / Wrinkled / Dark pink / Flat / Entire / 0.60-0.75 / Non slimy
As6a / Wrinkled / Dark pink / Flat / Entire / 0.60-0.75 / Non slimy
As6b / Circular / Fluorescent / Flat / Entire / 0.65-0.75 / Not gummy
CRRI field 2 / As7 / Wrinkled / Dark pink / Flat / Entire / 0.60-0.75 / Non slimy
As7a / Circular / Fluorescent / Flat / Entire / 0.65-0.75 / Not gummy
As8 / Wrinkled / Dark pink / Flat / Entire / 0.60-0.75 / Non slimy
As8a / Wrinkled / Dark pink / Flat / Entire / 0.60-0.75 / Non slimy
As8b / Wrinkled / Dark pink / Flat / Entire / 0.60-0.75 / Non slimy
As9 / Wrinkled / Dark pink / Flat / Entire / 0.65-0.75 / Non slimy
Majhisahi, Dhenkanal(OUAT expt.field) / As9a / Circular / Fluorescent / Flat / Entire / 0.65-0.75 / Not gummy
As9b / Circular / White / Plicate / Entire / 0.95-1.00 / Gummy
As10 / Wrinkled / Dark pink / Flat / Entire / 0.60-0.75 / Non slimy
As10a / Wrinkled / Dark pink / Flat / Entire / 0.60-0.75 / Non slimy
As10b / Wrinkled / Dark pink / Flat / Entire / 0.60-0.75 / Non slimy
Badamba, Cuttack (OUAT expt. Field) / As11 / Wrinkled / Dark pink / Flat / Entire / 0.60-0.75 / Non slimy
As11a / Circular / White / Plicate / Entire / 0.95-1.00 / Gummy
As12 / Wrinkled / Dark pink / Flat / Entire / 0.60-0.75 / Non slimy
As12a / Wrinkled / Dark pink / Flat / Entire / 0.60-0.75 / Non slimy
As13 / Circular / Fluorescent / Flat / Entire / 0.65-0.75 / Not gummy
As14 / Circular / White / Plicate / Entire / 0.95-1.00 / Gummy

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Supplementary Table 2. Morphological characters of tentative Azospirillum spp. from Okon’s medium

Location / Isolate no / Shape / Length(µm) / Breadth(µm) / Motility / Gram stain
Range / Mean / SE / Range / Mean / SE
SRI field
(Central farm, OUAT) / As1 / Slightly-curved / 2.1-3.8 / 2.9 / 0.053 / 1.0 – 1.2 / 1.1 / 0.062 / + / -ve
As1a / rod / 1.5-1.7 / 1.6 / 0.057 / 0.75-1.0 / 0.58 / 0.057 / + / -ve
As2 / rod / 2.0-2.5 / 2.2 / 0.025 / 0.5-0.75 / 0.58 / 0.065 / + / -ve
As2a / Slightly-curved / 2.1-3.8 / 2.9 / 0.053 / 1.0 – 1.2 / 1.1 / 0.062 / + / -ve
As2b / rod / 1.0-2.0 / 1.5 / 0.096 / 0.5-1.0 / 0.91 / 0.054 / + / -ve
As2c / rods / 1.5-1.7 / 1.6 / 0.057 / 0.75-1.0 / 0.58 / 0.057 / + / -ve
LTFE field (Central farm, OUAT) / As3 / Slightly-curved / 2.1-3.5 / 2.3 / 0.052 / 1.0 – 1.3 / 1.1 / 0.063 / + / -ve
As3a / helical / 2-2.5 / 2.3 / 0.028 / 1-1.25 / 1.08 / 0.054 / + / -ve
As3b / rod / 1.0-2.0 / 1.5 / 0.096 / 0.5-1.0 / 0.91 / 0.054 / + / -ve
As3c / rod / 0.25-.50 / 0.3 / 0.065 / 0.25-0.5 / 0.33 / 0.065 / + / -ve
As3d / rod / 1.0-1.2 / 1.1 / 0.062 / 3.0 – 6.0 / 4.5 / 0.054 / - / -ve
CRRI field 1 / As4 / Slightly-curved / 2.1-3.8 / 2.9 / 0.053 / 1.0 – 1.2 / 1.1 / 0.062 / + / -ve
As4a / rod / 1.0-2.0 / 1.5 / 0.096 / 0.5-1.0 / 0.91 / 0.054 / + / -ve
As5 / Slightly-curved / 2.1-3.5 / 2.8 / 0.052 / 1.0 – 1.2 / 1.1 / 0.062 / + / -ve
As5a / rod / 1.0-2.0 / 1.5 / 0.096 / 0.5-1.0 / 0.91 / 0.054 / + / -ve
As6 / Slightly-curved / 2.1-3.3 / 2.7 / 0.051 / 1.0 – 1.4 / 1.2 / 0.064 / + / -ve
As6a / Slightly-curved / 2.1-3.8 / 2.9 / 0.053 / 1.0 – 1.2 / 1.1 / 0.062 / + / -ve
As6b / rod / 1.0-2.2 / 1.6 / 0.082 / 0.5-1.0 / 0.75 / 0.054 / + / -ve
CRRI field 2 / As7 / Slightly-curved / 2.1-3.3 / 2.7 / 0.051 / 1.0 – 1.2 / 1.1 / 0.063 / + / -ve
As7a / rod / 1.0-2.2 / 1.6 / 0.082 / 0.5-1.0 / 0.75 / 0.054 / + / -ve
As8 / Slightly-curved / 2.1-3.1 / 2.6 / 0.051 / 1.0 – 1.2 / 1.1 / 0.061 / + / -ve
As8a / rod / 2.0-2.5 / 2.2 / 0.025 / 0.5-0.75 / 0.58 / 0.065 / + / -ve
As8b / rod / 2.0-2.6 / 2.3 / 0.027 / 0.5-0.75 / 0.58 / 0.064 / + / -ve
As9 / rod / 2.0-2.8 / 2.4 / 0.025 / 0.5-0.75 / 0.58 / 0.065 / + / -ve
Majhisahi, Dhenkanal (OUAT expt. Field) / As9a / rod / 1.0-2.4 / 1.7 / 0.080 / 0.5-1.0 / 0.75 / 0.052 / + / -ve
As9b / rod / 1.5-1.7 / 1.6 / 0.057 / 0.75-1.0 / 0.58 / 0.057 / + / -ve
As10 / rod / 2.0-2.5 / 2.2 / 0.025 / 0.5-0.75 / 0.58 / 0.065 / + / -ve
As10a / rod / 2.0-2.6 / 2.3 / 0.027 / 0.5-0.75 / 0.58 / 0.064 / + / -ve
As10b / Slightly-curved / 2.1-3.1 / 2.6 / 0.051 / 1.0 – 1.2 / 1.1 / 0.061 / + / -ve
Badamba, Cuttack (OUAT expt. Field) / As11 / Slightly-curved / 2.1-3.3 / 2.7 / 0.054 / 1.0 – 1.2 / 1.1 / 0.063 / + / -ve
As11a / rod / 1.5-1.7 / 1.6 / 0.057 / 0.75-1.0 / 0.58 / 0.057 / + / -ve
As12 / Slightly-curved / 2.1-3.0 / 2.5 / 0.062 / 1.0 – 1.2 / 1.1 / 0.067 / + / -ve
As12a / rod / 2.0-2.5 / 2.2 / 0.025 / 0.5-0.75 / 0.58 / 0.065 / + / -ve
As13 / rod / 1.4.-1.5 / 1.45 / 0.028 / 1-1.25 / 1.08 / 0.025 / + / -ve
As14 / rod / 1.5-1.7 / 1.6 / 0.065 / 1-1.5 / 1.25 / 0.054 / + / -ve

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