Vol. 10, Special Issue 1, Part K (2026)

Bhendi (Abelmoschus esculentus L. Moench), an economically important vegetable crop, is widely cultivated across tropical and subtropical regions but often suffers from reduced productivity due to soil nutrient depletion and overuse of chemical fertilisers. In this study, fifteen native Bacillus spp. isolates were obtained from the rhizosphere soils of bhendi cultivated in major growing tracts of Tamil Nadu and evaluated for their biochemical and plant growth-promoting characteristics. Morphological and microscopic examinations confirmed that all isolates were endospore-forming, Gram-positive rods. Biochemical analyses revealed that all isolates produced indole acetic acid (IAA) and hydrogen cyanide (HCN) and tested positive for casein, starch, and gelatin hydrolysis, while negative for hydrogen sulphide (H₂S) production. Among the isolates, AUBs-1 exhibited superior performance in the roll towel assay, recording the highest germination percentage (95%), shoot length (12.5 cm), root length (9.6 cm), and vigour index (2097.5), followed by AUBs-2 and AUBs-14. The untreated control recorded significantly lower values for all parameters. The study highlights the potential of native Bacillus spp., particularly isolate AUBs-1, as effective bioinoculants for enhancing seed germination, early vigour, and sustainable growth of bhendi. Further molecular characterisation and field validation of these isolates could support their development into commercial biofertilizer formulations for eco-friendly crop management.