Mana village (Chamoli district, Uttarakhand, India), situated in high altitudes (3,238？m above mean sea level) of Indian Himalayan region, represents cold desert climatic conditions. At Mana, potato is grown from May to September, while the site remains snow clad for approximately six months (from October to April). Soil samples, collected from Mana potato fields, were analyzed for cultivable microbial diversity along with the chemical and enzymatic properties. The analysis revealed colonization of soil by microflora in moderate numbers (up to 107？CFU/g soil) with limited species level. 25 morphologically distinct microbial isolates belonging to Gram +ve and Gram ？ve bacteria, actinomycetes, and fungi including yeast were isolated. The bacteria were tentatively identified as species of Bacillus and Pseudomonas, while the majority of the fungal isolates belonged to the species of Penicillium. These microbial isolates possessed plant growth promotion and biocontrol properties assessed mainly in terms of production of indole acetic acid and hydrolytic enzymes and phosphate solubilization. The soil, when used as “inoculum” in plant based bioassays, exhibited positive influence on plant growth related parameters. The limited diversity of cold tolerant microbial species also extends opportunity to understand the resilience possessed by these organisms under low temperature environment. 1. Introduction Microorganisms are ubiquitous in nature; their distribution is governed by environmental specificities. Extreme environmental conditions are not uncommon, and the microbial diversity of such areas is of particular interest because of the superb adaptability of the native microbes. Due to slow growth rate and difficulty of handling, relatively little attention has been given to cold adapted psychrophiles or psychrotolerant microbes. Decrease in microbial population with a concomitant increase in the altitude has been reported [1]. Under low temperature environments, the importance and distinction between psychrophiles and psychrotrophs or psychrotolerants have also been recognized [2]. Psychrotolerant microbes are important in high-altitude agroecosystems since they survive and retain their functionality at low temperature conditions, while growing optimally at warmer temperatures [3]. The Indian Himalayan region (IHR) occupies special place in the mountain ecosystems of the world. The mountain agroecosystems are characterized by difficult terrain, inadequate infrastructure, inaccessibility and marginal societies, lack of irrigation, severe top soil erosion, and
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