Influence of microbial priming and seeding depth on germination and growth of native wildflowers

Abstract Background Using native wildflowers for restoring marginal lands has gained considerable popularity. Establishment of wildflowers can be challenging due to several environmental factors. Restoring the microbial community in degraded habitats can potentially result in the native plant performance and habitat restoration. This study was conducted to investigate the impact of native soil microbes and seeding depth on germination of south Texas native wildflowers. Two wildflower species, Ratibida columnifera (Nutt.) (Mexican Hat) and Verbesina encelioides (Cav.) (cowpen daisy), were treated with microbial wash extracted from native soils, and germination rate was recorded for 14-day period. We further analyzed the growth, biomass allocation, and root colonization by mycorrhizal fungi in these two plants growing them in a plant growth chamber for 6 weeks. To determine the impact of seeding depth, we planted the seeds of the two plant species at 2-cm, 6-cm, and 12-cm depth and monitored germination and plant growth. Results The two species responded differently to the seeding depth and microbial wash treatments. Microbial wash treatment resulted in higher germination rate in R. columnifera compared to control, while it did not have any impact on V. encelioides seed germination. While microbial treatment did not influence the total biomass, it had a significant impact on the biomass allocation in both the plant species. R. columnifera seeds germinated at both 2-cm and 6-cm depth and did not germinate at 12 cm, while the V. encelioides seeds germinated only at 2 cm and did not germinate at 6-cm or 12-cm seeding depth. Conclusions While our results are species specific, our results indicate that native soil microbes can potentially improve the seed germination and growth of wildflowers. Our results also indicate the importance of specific seeding depth when sowing wildflower seeds for habitat restoration.

Download Full-text

Inducing salt tolerance in sweet corn by magnetic priming

Acta agriculturae Slovenica ◽

10.14720/aas.2017.109.1.09 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 109 (1) ◽

pp. 89 ◽

Cited By ~ 13

Author(s):

Soheil Karimi ◽

Saeid ESHGHI ◽

Saeid KARIMI ◽

Saman HASAN-NEZHADIAN

Keyword(s):

Salt Stress ◽

Seed Germination ◽

Plant Growth ◽

Sweet Corn ◽

Germination Rate ◽

Nacl Stress ◽

Proline Accumulation ◽

Membrane Thermostability ◽

Germination And Growth ◽

Magnetic Priming

This study evaluates seed germination and growth of sweet corn under NaCl stress (0, 50, and 100 mM), after exposing the seeds to weak (15 mT) or strong (150 mT) magnetic fields (MF) for different durations (0, 6, 12, and 24 hours). Salinity reduced seed germination and plant growth. MF treatments enhanced rate and percentage of germination and improved plant growth, regardless of salinity. Higher germination rate was obtained by the stronger MF, however, the seedling were more vigorous after priming with 15 mT MF. Proline accumulation was observed in parallel with the loss of plant water content under 100 mM NaCl stress. MF prevented proline accumulation by improving water absorption. Positive correlation between H2O2 accumulation and membrane thermostability (MTI) was found after MF treatments, which revealed that MF primed the plant for salinity by H2O2 signaling. However, over-accumulation of H2O2 after prolonged MF exposure adversely affected MTI under severe salt stress. In conclusion, magnetic priming for 6 hours was suggested for enhancing germination and growth of sweet corn under salt stress.

Download Full-text

Dust-related impacts of mining operations on rangeland vegetation and soil: a case study in Yazd province, Iran

10.21203/rs.3.rs-245412/v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Shahab IbrahimPour ◽

Alireza KhavaninZadeh ◽

Ruhollah Taghizadeh mehrjardi ◽

Hans De Boeck ◽

Alvina Gul

Keyword(s):

Seed Germination ◽

Vegetation Cover ◽

Microbial Respiration ◽

Germination Rate ◽

Windward Side ◽

Leeward Side ◽

Mining Operations ◽

Soil Microbial ◽

Soil Microbial Respiration ◽

The Impact

Abstract Destructive mining operations are affecting large areas of natural ecosystems, especially in arid lands. The present study aims at investigating the impact of iron mine exploitation on vegetation and soil in Nodoushan (Yazd province, central Iran). Based on the dominant wind, topography, slope, vegetation and soil of the area, soil and vegetation parameters close to the mine were recorded and analyzed according to the distance from the mine. In order to obtain the vegetation cover, a transect and plot on the windward and leeward side of the mine, with 100 m intervals and three replicates at each sampling location was used, yielding 96 soil samples. The amount of dust on the vegetation, the seed weight and seed germination rate of Artemisia sp. as the dominant species within the area, and the soil microbial respiration were measured. The relationship between vegetation cover and distance from the mine was not linear, which was due to an interplay between pollution from the mine and local grazing, while other factors did increase or decrease linearly. The results showed that, as the distance from the mine increased, the weight of 1000 seeds of Artemisia sp. was significantly increased from 271 to 494 mg and seed germination rate and soil microbial respiration were significantly increased from 11.7 to 48.4 % and from 4.5 to 5.9 mg CO2 g− 1 soil day− 1 respectively, while the amount of dust significantly decreased from 43.5 to 6 mg (g plant)−1 between the distance of 100 to 600 m from the mine in the leeward direction. A similar trend was observed in the windward side, though negative effects were lower compared to the same distance along the leeward sample locations. The direct and indirect effects on plant growth and health from mining impacts generally decreased linearly with increasing distance from the mine, up to at least 600 m. Our study serves as a showcase for the potential of bio-indicators as a cost-effective method for assessing impacts of mining activities on the surrounding environment.

Download Full-text

MgONPs Can Boost Plant Growth: Evidence from Increased Seedling Growth, Morpho-Physiological Activities, and Mg Uptake in Tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.)

Molecules ◽

10.3390/molecules23123375 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 23 (12) ◽

pp. 3375 ◽

Cited By ~ 11

Author(s):

Lin Cai ◽

Minghong Liu ◽

Zhongwei Liu ◽

Huikuan Yang ◽

Xianchao Sun ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Plant Growth ◽

Chlorophyll Content ◽

Germination Rate ◽

Paraffin Section ◽

Growth Stimulation ◽

Physiological Changes ◽

Tobacco Plants ◽

Tobacco Roots ◽

The Impact ◽

Mg Content

In this study, we documented the impact of magnesium oxide nanoparticles (MgONPs) on the various morpho-physiological changes by root irrigation in tobacco plants in the matrix media, as well as the uptake and accumulation of the NPs over a range of concentrations (50–250 μg/mL). Our results showed that the seed germination rate was not affected following exposure to MgONPs for 5 days. Enhanced plant growth together with increased peroxidase activity (39.63 U mg−1 protein in the 250 μg/mL MgONPs treatment, 36.63 U mg−1 protein in the control), superoxide dismutase activity (30.15 U mg−1 protein compared to 26.95 U mg−1 protein in the control), and chlorophyll content (the chlorophyll a and b contents in 0 and 250 μg/mL of MgONPs were 0.21, 0.12 μg/g to 1.21, 0.67 μg/g, respectively) were observed after 30 days of MgONP treatment. However, the malondialdehyde, protein, and relative water contents did not differ significantly, indicating that the NPs in the test concentrations had no phytotoxicity and even promoted plant growth. Scanning electron microscopy and paraffin section observations indicated that the MgONPs did not affect the plant tissue structures and cells. In addition, an elevated Mg content was detected in the plant tissues exposed to MgONPs, suggesting that the Mg was taken up by the tobacco roots and translocated to the shoots and leaves, which were probably the most important tools to cause an increase in the chlorophyll content and stimulate growth. In particular, compared with the controls, a substantially higher Mg content was observed in the leaves (12.93 mg/g in the MgONPs treatment, 9.30 mg/g in the control) exposed to 250 μg/mL MgONPs, especially in the lower and middle leaves. This result confirmed that the contents of plant Mg-element in the old leaves were increased by MgONPs. In summary, this study investigated increased Mg uptake and growth stimulation, as well as the induction of various positive morpho-physiological changes to tobacco plants when exposed to MgONPs. Results elucidate the promotional impact of the NPs on plant health and their implications for agricultural safety and security.

Download Full-text

Soil Texture Influence on Meloidogyne incognita and Thielaviopsis basicola and Their Interaction on Cotton

Plant Disease ◽

10.1094/pdis-04-13-0357-re ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 98 (3) ◽

pp. 336-343 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

J. Jaraba ◽

C. S. Rothrock ◽

T. L. Kirkpatrick ◽

K. R. Brye

Keyword(s):

Plant Growth ◽

Soil Texture ◽

Meloidogyne Incognita ◽

Root Colonization ◽

Growth And Yield ◽

Thielaviopsis Basicola ◽

Native Soil ◽

Loam Soil ◽

Fungal Reproduction ◽

The Impact

Microplots were used to evaluate the impact of soil texture on Meloidogyne incognita, Thielaviopsis basicola, and their interaction on cotton. A native silt loam soil (48% sand) and four different artificial soil textures produced by mixing native soil with sand (53, 70, 74, and 87% sand) were studied. Each soil texture was infested with 0, 4, or 8 M. incognita eggs and 0 or 20 T. basicola chlamydospore chains per gram of soil in a factorial treatment arrangement. Plots were watered when soil moisture fell below –10 joules/kg for the first 21 days and –30 joules/kg from 22 days to harvest. Plant growth was suppressed early in the season and midseason by T. basicola. M. incognita suppressed plant growth and delayed plant development late in the season across all soil textures. Cotton yield was lower in the presence of either T. basicola or M. incognita. An interaction between M. incognita and T. basicola, which decreased plant growth and yield, occurred in 2006 when neither pathogen caused substantial plant damage. Plant growth, development, and yield were lowest in soils with >74% sand. Root colonization by T. basicola and fungal reproduction and survival decreased in soil having 87% sand. M. incognita generally caused more galling and reproduction in soils as sand content increased. Root galling severity and M. incognita reproduction were suppressed by the presence of T. basicola in soil at sand contents lower than 87%. Soil texture had a greater impact on T. basicola than on M. incognita in this study.

Download Full-text

Research Of Effect Of Low Frequency Magnetic Field On Germination, Growth And Fruiting Of Field Tomatoes

Acta Horticulturae et Regiotecturae ◽

10.1515/ahr-2015-0001 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 18 (1) ◽

pp. 1-4 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Jaroslav Jedlička ◽

Oleg Paulen ◽

Štefan Ailer

Keyword(s):

Seed Germination ◽

Plant Growth ◽

Electromagnetic Fields ◽

Low Frequency ◽

Agricultural Practice ◽

Tomato Variety ◽

Electromagnetic Stimulation ◽

Frequency Magnetic Field ◽

Generative Phase ◽

The Impact

AbstractIn the study regarding with tomatoes, the impact of extremely low frequency electromagnetic fields on seed germination of tomato (Solanum lycopersicumL.) after treatment before sowing, as well as the growth following electromagnetic stimulation of young plants at a time before planting in the field, and fruittraits was investigated. In the experiments conducted in two consecutive years (2012 and 2013), we followed the time of seed germination of tomato variety “Pavlina”, plant growth and the fruitsize. Magnetization of seeds and young plants was carried out in laboratory conditions, and plant growth and fruits were followed in field conditions where plants were grown on experimental plots (25.0 m2). The plants were grown in accordance with the standards of agricultural practice for tomato. At the generative phase, fruits were collected at regular intervals, and their number and weight were evaluated. Low frequency electromagnetic fields acting at the three inductance levels (20, 40 and 60 mT) and exposure of 20 minutes a day with frequency of 50 Hz, significantly influenced the germination, plant growth and fruitsize of the studied tomato variety.

Download Full-text

Improvement of Seed Germination in Three Medicinal Plant Species by Plant Growth Regulators

HortScience ◽

10.21273/hortsci.51.7.887 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 51 (7) ◽

pp. 887-891 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Khalid M. Elhindi ◽

Yaser Hassan Dewir ◽

Abdul-Wasea Asrar ◽

Eslam Abdel-Salam ◽

Ahmed Sharaf El-Din ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Acetic Acid ◽

Seed Germination ◽

Plant Growth ◽

Plant Growth Regulators ◽

Growth Regulators ◽

Germination Rate ◽

Germination Percentage ◽

Mentha Piperita ◽

Naphthalene Acetic Acid ◽

Sweet Basil

Peppermint (Mentha piperita), sweet basil (Ocimum basilicum), and coriander (Coriandrum sativum) are important medicinal plants in the pharmacological industry. These plants are produced in commercial scale but their seeds exhibit low germination percentages under favorable germination conditions. Enhancing seed germination is thus crucial for improving the production of these plants. The influence of gibberellic acid (GA3), indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), indol-3-butyric acid (IBA), and naphthalene acetic acid (NAA) on seed germination of the three plants were investigated. The seeds were soaked in each plant growth regulator at 50, 100, and 150 mg·L−1 for 24 hours at 25 ± 2 °C. Seed germination was checked daily for 20 days and germination parameters including final germination percentage (FGP), corrected germination rate (CGRI), and number of days lapsed to reach 50% of FGP (GT50) were recorded. The phosphorus and protein contents were determined in germinated seedlings on day 21 of culture. All plant growth regulators enhanced seed germination as compared with control. However, GA3 improved seed germination more than IAA, IBA, and NAA. GA3 at 100 mg·L−1 significantly increased the FGP from 22.3% and 33.3% (control) to 74% and 65.6% for peppermint and sweet basil, respectively. Low concentration of GA3 at 50 mg·L−1 increased the FGP for coriander from 27% to 52.3%. GA3 also increased CGRI, GT50, phosphorus, and protein contents in germinated seedlings as compared with control. Seeds of peppermint, sweet basil, and coriander possess a physiological dormancy that could be elevated by GA3 presowing treatment. This study established a successful methodology for optimizing seed germination to satisfy the demand for the medicinal parts of these plants in the pharmacological industry.

Download Full-text

Improving of true shallot seeds germination by the application of plant growth regulators and osmoconditioning treatment

IOP Conference Series Earth and Environmental Science ◽

10.1088/1755-1315/951/1/012065 ◽

2022 ◽

Vol 951 (1) ◽

pp. 012065

Author(s):

K A Tanjung ◽

L A M Siregar ◽

R I M Damanik

Keyword(s):

Seed Germination ◽

Plant Growth ◽

Plant Growth Regulators ◽

Growth Regulators ◽

Root Length ◽

Germination Rate ◽

Block Design ◽

Dry Weight ◽

Peg 6000 ◽

The Difference

Abstract This study aims to determine the effect of the application of plant growth regulators and osmoconditioning treatment to improve the germination of true shallot seeds. This research was conducted in Asam Kumbang, Medan Selayang, Medan, Indonesia. The research method was a Randomize Block Design with 2 factors, the first factor is Plant Growth Regulators (Z) with 6 levels, namely Z0 (Without PGRs Application), Z1 (Gibberellin 500 ppm), Z2 (Putrescine 15 ppm), Z3 (Putrescine 20 ppm), Z4 (Putrescine 15 ppm + Gibberellin 500 ppm), Z5 (Putrescine 20 ppm + Gibberellin 500 ppm). The second factor was the osmoconditioning treatment with Polyethylene Glycol (PEG) 6000 (O) with 4 levels, namely O0 (Without Osmoconditioning Treatment), O1 (PEG 6000 3%), O2 (PEG 6000 4%), O3 (PEG 6000 5%). Parameters observed were germination rate, germination rate index, percentage of germination, germination ability, simultaneous growth of seeds, seedling length, root length, seedling dry weight, and catalase activity test. The results of this study were: application of plant growth regulators could improve true shallot seed germination, indicated by the observed values of all parameters which were significantly different from those of the control (without PGRs application). The plant growth regulator that produced the best increase in germination was Gibberellins 500 ppm, although the difference in effect with other PGRs was not significantly different. Meanwhile, the osmoconditioning treatment with PEG 6000 was also able to improve the germination of true shallot seeds as indicated by an increase in most of the observed parameters, but in the root length parameter it was seen that the tendency of PEG 6000 3% always gave the highest value but gave the lowest value for this parameter. The best concentration of PEG 6000 in the osmoconditioning treatment to improve true shallot seed germination was 3%.

Download Full-text

Pre-Sowing Treatments Improve Germinability of South Texas Native Plant Seeds

Plants ◽

10.3390/plants10112545 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (11) ◽

pp. 2545

Author(s):

Kaitlynn Lavallee ◽

Pushpa Gautam Soti ◽

Hansapani Rodrigo ◽

Rupesh Kariyat ◽

Alexis Racelis

Keyword(s):

Seed Germination ◽

Plant Species ◽

Native Plants ◽

Germination Rate ◽

South Texas ◽

Cold Stratification ◽

Native Plant ◽

Native Plant Species ◽

Plant Seeds ◽

Wide Range

The incorporation of native plant species is central to restoration efforts, but this is often limited by both the availability of seeds and the relatively low viability and germination rates of commercially available seeds. Although pre-sowing treatments are commonly used to improve germination rates of seeds, the efficacy of these treatments is found to vary across species. In this study, we tested how four pre-sow treatments (physical scarification, acid scarification, cold stratification, and aerated hydropriming) affected the viability and seed germination rates of 12 commercially available plant species native to south Texas and commonly used in restoration efforts. Our results show that the viability of the seeds have a wide range, from 78% to 1.25%. Similarly, the total germination rate ranged from 62% to 0%. We found that pre-sowing treatments accelerated the germination rate in 9 of 12 plant species tested, but the effect varied by treatment. Collectively, our results identify various methods to achieve the best germination rates for native plants of south Texas, to help improve restoration efforts across the region.

Download Full-text

Importance of plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria in enhancing the seed germination and growth of watermelon attacked by fungal pathogens

Acta Agronomica Hungarica ◽

10.1556/aagr.55.2007.2.12 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 55 (2) ◽

pp. 243-249 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

S. Lokesh ◽

B. Bharath ◽

V. Raghavendra ◽

M. Govindappa

Keyword(s):

Seed Germination ◽

Plant Growth ◽

Fungal Pathogens ◽

Plant Growth Promoting Rhizobacteria ◽

Fungal Species ◽

Didymella Bryoniae ◽

Seedling Vigour ◽

Plant Growth Promoting ◽

Growth Promoting ◽

Germination And Growth

In the present study, seven isolates of plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria were used for seed treatment to suppress seedling diseases caused by fungi. Their effect on the seed germination and seedling vigour of watermelon was also studied. Among them INR-7 was able to inhibit a broad range of fungal species, GBO3 and IPC-11 were found to be effective against Fusarium spp. and Didymella bryoniae , while isolates SE-34 and T-4 were effective against Myrothecium species and also reduced the development of symptoms on the seedlings. Isolates GBO3, IPC-11 and INR-7 increased seed germination and seedling vigour to the greatest extent.

Download Full-text

The effects of different concentrations of Nickel on seed germination and growth of Coriander (Coriandrum sativum)

FLORA AND FAUNA ◽

10.33451/florafauna.v25i2pp163-165 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 25 (2) ◽

Author(s):

Subhash Chandra Yadav ◽

Naveen Krishna Srivastava

Keyword(s):

Heavy Metal ◽

Seed Germination ◽

Plant Growth ◽

Environmental Stress ◽

Metal Pollution ◽

Heavy Metal Pollution ◽

Coriandrum Sativum ◽

Toxic Effects ◽

Germination And Growth

Heavy metal pollution is a major environmental stress than can affect plant growth. The toxic effects of nickel on germination and growth of Coriander (Coriandrum sativum) seedling were investigated for 8 days. Growth of seedling parts especially radicle was greatly reduced for concentration at and above 50 mg/l

Download Full-text