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Investigations were carried out to study the plant growth promotional ability of native pink pigmented facultative methylotrophs (PPFMs) of major DSR growing areas of Hyderabad- Karnataka. Selected isolates were screened for beneficial characters like production of phytohormones (IAA), In Vitro Nitrogen Fixation, phosphate solubilisation and HCN production. All the isolates tested were found to produce the plant hormone indole acetic acid, nitrogen fixation and phosphate solubilisation. Higher indole acetic acid production and in vitro nitrogen fixation  was recorded in PPFM-31 (28.23 µg ml^-1 of culture filtrate and 1.32 mg N/g of malate) respectively ) followed by ppfm-16 recorded IAA production  and in vitro nitrogen fixation of 26.15 µg ml^-1 of culture filtrate and  1.18 mg N/g of malate respectively while reference strain (Methylobacterium extorquens) recorded IAA production and in vitro nitrogen fixation of 26.25 µg ml^-1 of culture filtrate  and found to fix 1.19 mg N/g of malate respectively. PPFM isolates showed wide variation in nitrogen fixation ranging from 0.39 to 1.32 mg N/g of malate. Mineral phosphate solubilisation index of PPFM isolates ranged from 2.10 to 14.95 mm.  Among the strains, PPFM-31, reference strain and PPFM-16 showed the solubilization zones of 14.95, 13.00 and 12.30 mm respectively. The present study has identified potential native PPFM strains from major Direct seeded growing districts of Hyderabad- Karnataka for their exploration in improving production and productivity of direct seeded rice.

Key words: PPFM’s, Methylobacterium, IAA, In Vitro Nitrogen Fixation, phosphate solubilisation, HCN production and DSR.