Effect of Cyanobacteria Isolates on Rice Seeds Germination in Saline Soil

Mostafa M El Sheek,Mohamed A Zayed,Faiza K A Elmossel

doi:10.21123/bsj.2018.15.1.0016

Abstract

Cyanobacteria are prokaryotic photosynthetic communities which are used in biofertilization of many plants especially rice plant. Cyanobacteria play a vital role to increase the plant's ability for salinity tolerance. Salinity is a worldwide problem which affects the growth and productivity of crops. In this work three cyanobacteria strains (Nostoc calcicola, Anabaena variabilis, and Nostoc linkia) were isolated from saline soil at Kafr El-Sheikh Governorate; North Egypt. The propagated cyanobacteria strains were used to withstand salinity of the soil and increase rice plant growth (Giza 178). The length of roots and shoot seedlings was measured for seven and forty days of cultivation, respectively. The results of this investigation showed that the inoculation with Nostoc calcicola, Anabaena variabilis, and Nostoc linkia increased root length by 27.0, 4.0, 3.0 % and 39, 20, 19 % in EC5 and 10 (ds/m), respectively. Similarly, they increased shoot length by 121, 70, 55 %, 116, 88, 82 % in EC5 and 10 (ds/m), respectively. In EC15and more concentrations, control rice plants could not grow while those to which cyanobacteria were inoculated could withstand only EC15 but not other elevated concentrations. These results encourage using Nostoc calcicola,Anabaena variabilis, and Nostoc linkia as biofertilizer for rice plant in the saline soil for increasing growth and decrease soil electrical conductivity.

Highlights

Salinity has a negative effect on agricultural productivity, including plant growth and minimizing the use of this land
The experiment was conducted to investigate the effect of the cultural filtrates of N. calcicola, A. variabilis, and N. linkia grown in BG11 medium containing different concentrations of NaCl (5, 10, 15, 20 and 25 dS/m) in the laboratory for seven days on rice seed germination
Similar results were obtained by Rodríguez et al [11] who found that NaCl (5g/L) reduced shoot length by 54%, root length of Oryza sativa by 62%, shoot and root dry weight by 37% and 59%, respectively

Summary

Introduction

Salinity has a negative effect on agricultural productivity, including plant growth and minimizing the use of this land. Salinity affects about 6% of the world’s total land and 20% of the world’s irrigated areas [1]. It is estimated that the total agricultural land in Egypt is about 8.4 million feddans (3.5 million ha) which represents about 3.5 percent of the total area. FAO [2] stated that about one million ha in the irrigated areas suffer from salinization problems, water logging, and sodicity. About 900,000 ha suffer from salinization problems in cultivated, irrigated areas, 6 % of the Northern Delta region is saltaffected, 20 % of the Southern Delta and Middle Egyptian region and 25 % of the Upper Egypt region [3]

Methods

Results

Conclusion