Match List I with List II and select the correct answer using the code

Match List I with List II and select the correct answer using the code given below the lists :

List I
(Plant)
List II
(Biofertilizer)
A. Soyabean1. Anabaena
B. Azolla2. Rhizobium
C. Pine3. Azospirillum
D. Maize4. Mycorrhiza
3 4 1 2
2 1 4 3
2 4 1 3
3 1 4 2
This question was previously asked in
UPSC CAPF – 2011
The correct matching is Soyabean with Rhizobium, Azolla with Anabaena, Pine with Mycorrhiza, and Maize with Azospirillum. This corresponds to option B (2 1 4 3).
Different plants form symbiotic relationships with specific microorganisms that act as biofertilizers, enhancing nutrient uptake, most notably nitrogen fixation. Legumes like soybean associate with *Rhizobium*. The aquatic fern *Azolla* hosts the cyanobacterium *Anabaena azollae*. Many trees, including pine, form mutualistic associations with fungi known as *Mycorrhizae*. Cereals like maize can associate with bacteria like *Azospirillum* in their root zone.
Biofertilizers are substances containing living microorganisms which, when applied to seed, plant surfaces, or soil, colonize the rhizosphere or the interior of the plant and promote growth by increasing the supply or availability of primary nutrients to the host plant. Examples include bacteria (Rhizobium, Azospirillum, Azotobacter), fungi (Mycorrhiza), and cyanobacteria (Anabaena, Nostoc). The specific plant-microbe associations listed are well-documented examples used in agriculture and forestry to improve soil fertility and plant health naturally.