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PGPR have been receiving due attention world-wide for their diverse phytobeneficial effects in development of sustainable agriculture. To cope with the increasing problems of agrochemicals, high consumer demand for crop yield coupled with increase in human population necessitate environmentally friendly, less expensive biological alternatives. Among these alternatives are biopesticides such as bacteria that control plant disease & serve as biofertilizers for improving plant productivity & quality. In this study, PGPR have been given due emphasis as they are very effective as plant growth enhancement, disease control & their diverse ability in adapting to other various soil and plant stress conditions. Several morphological, physiological, biochemical & plant growth properties of about 160 tef-root associated bacteria are treated in the study. Best performing PGPR have also been selected and evaluated on various growth & yield performance of two tef varieties under greenhouse. Such study should be encouraged in the future & the author hopes that this material is helpful as it is the first of its kind in Ethiopia in addressing free-living tef-root associated PGPR & their diversity.

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The author was born in 1978 in sooth west Shoa (Oromia), Qarsa Qondaltiti Woreda,Dawalii Dera Kebele. He completed his primary school at Geto Ilala Wako & his junior and secondary schools at Sodo Buee High School (South shoa) & Addis Ketema Comp.Sec.School, AA. He studied both B.Sc & M.Sc at AAU (Ethiopia). He is a lecturer at Jimma University

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