**2.7 Assessment of plant growth promotion induced by antagonistic bacterial and fungal isolates**

Rice seeds (cv.IR24) were surface sterilized and dried. Then the sterilized rice seeds were treated with formulated bacterial and fungal antagonists (10 g/kg seeds) and the treated seeds were left for 1 h under shade. The rice seeds were then sown in the plastic pots previously filled with sterile soils. Fifty seeds were sown in each pot and three replications were maintained. Then the germination of seeds were recorded at 7DAS. The seedlings were uprooted at 7 DAS, 14 DAS and 28 DAS to measure the root length, shoot length and to calculate the vigor index [= (root length + shoot length) germination percentage] were measured.

### *2.7.1 Seed priming, raising of seedlings and transplanting*

Seeds of IR24 were treated with 32 selected formulated PGP antagonistic bacterial isolates. The treated sees were left for 1 hr. for adherence of the bacterial and fungal isolates with the treated seed surface. The treated seeds were then sown in the plastic pots filled with sterilized soils. One month old seedlings were then transplanted in the plastic pots filled with puddle soils.
