Isolation and characterization of heterocytes cyanobacteria and investigating their role in enhancing seed germination

The ever-increasing demand for rice raises the need to increase productivity by developing drought-tolerant rice varieties. Drought tolerance is a complex polygenic trait that largely depends upon plant developmental stages and showed genotype-specific variability. The experiment was conducted using drought tolerant (Binadhan-19, BRRI dhan83) and drought susceptible (BRRI dhan26, BRRI dhan48) rice genotypes at the glasshouse of Bangladesh Institute of Nuclear Agriculture (BINA), Mymensingh to characterize the seedling stage drought tolerance as well as disclose the variability of the genotypes for morphological and biochemical traits. A completely randomized design (CRD) with three replications and treatments (control and drought stress imposed by 20% PEG) was used for the experiment. Data on shoot length, root length, fresh root weight, fresh shoot weight, dry root weight, dry shoot weight, chlorophyll content (SPAD value), MDA, and H2O2 were recorded and analyzed through appropriate breeding tools. Significant variation (p<0.01) was observed for genotype, treatment, and genotype (G) × treatment (T) interactions viz., shoot length, root length, root fresh weight, shoot fresh weight, root dry weight, shoot dry weight, chlorophyll, H2O2, and MDA. Drought stress leads to a significant decrease in root and shoots growth whereas the level of H2O2 and MDA increased significantly. A greater decrease in root and shoot growth was observed in susceptible genotypes (BRRI dhan28, BRRI dhan48) compared to tolerant genotypes (BRRI dhan71, Binadhan-19). In contrast, a limited increase in H2O2 and MDA was recorded in tolerant genotypes compared to susceptible genotypes. H2O2 showed a significant positive correlation with root and shoot characteristics under control conditions, whereas H2O2 showed a significant negative correlation with chlorophyll content under drought conditions. MDA showed a significant negative correlation with most of the studied traits under well-watered conditions. Considering all of the traits at the seedling stage, the genotype Binadhan-19 is considered a drought-tolerant genotype both under well-watered and drought conditions, and this genotype was selected for further study under direct field conditions as well as for genetic improvement against drought stress.

The suitability of by-products from the cotton ginning industry for incorporation into growth media for three vegetable crops was examined. Composts were prepared by mixing the by-product with soil in 5 ratios (20:80, 40:60, 60:40, 80:20, 100:0, v/v compost and soil). Seeds of lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.), radish (Raphanus sativus L.) and spinach (Spinacia oleraceae L.) were sown directly within the composts and in 100% peat (control) in October (autumn crop) and December (winter crop). Plant growth (height, leaf number, dry and fresh weight, chlorophyll content) was recorded 19 and 17 days after transplantation (first and second sowing respectively) and at harvest. Fresh and dry weight was recorded at harvest. Overall, plant height and leaf number were higher when the growth media consisted principally of compost (higher ratios of cotton by-product: soil) than in the control (peat), whereas among the various ratios of compost: soil significant differences were recorded, media with a high compost content showing better growth in most cases. Similar results were reported for fresh and dry weight and chlorophyll content, except for dry weight in the second sowing, where growth media with a lower compost content had a higher dry weight. In conclusion, the incorporation of the cotton ginning by-product into compost resulted in better growth of lettuce, spinach and radish, suggesting that the use of this material may be of economical value as a spin-off product for the cotton ginning plant and also as a means of reducing present pollution of the environment due to the accumulation of waste material.

Plant growth and development rely on various factors, including mineral nutrients. Some are macronutrients like nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, whereas some are micronutrients like iron, magnesium, zinc, and a few vitamins. This experimental attempt was to check the stimulatory effect of zinc nanoparticles on pulse plant growth. The study was conducted on the green synthesis of zinc oxide nanoparticles using Coriandrum sativum leaves extract. The characterization of zinc oxide nanoparticles was studied using the X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM), and transmission electron microscope technique (TEM). The effect of zinc oxide nanoparticles as a fertilizer on pulses plant (Bengal gram, Turkish gram, and green grams) was studied in vitro. The seed germination rate, length of root and shoot, fresh weight, dry weight, and protein and chlorophyll content were measured in different media for assessment of zinc oxide nanoparticle’s growth stimulatory effects. The green synthesis of zinc oxide nanoparticles was confirmed with a size around 100 nm by transmission microscope technique. The germination rate of plants was 100% in MS media and MS media + nanoparticles. The present study found that the root length, shoot length, and weight were higher in MS media + nanoparticles followed by MS media, MS media only with nanoparticles, and MS media without zinc, respectively. It is found that the zinc oxide nanoparticles support seed germination and plant growth and also increase the protein and chlorophyll content. Significantly enhanced growth and development were evident in green gram and Turkish gram compared to that in Bengal gram in media treated with zinc oxide nanoparticles. The protein estimation results showed that the content was higher after 7 days in plants of Bengal gram (1.23 mg/ml), Turkish gram (1.19 mg/ml), and green gram (1.26 mg/ml) than that in roots and shoots. The application of MS media + ZnO nanoparticles results showed that chlorophyll content 12.6 mg/l was observed in other applications in the plant’s seedlings. In contrast, the absence of zinc decreases the germination rate, plant growth, chlorophyll, and protein content. This study confirms that the green synthesis of zinc oxide nanoparticles assessed from Coriandrum sativum leaves holds implication and should function as an active biofertilizer.

Drought, one of the abiotic stress factors that threatens world food security, destructively limits the growth and development of agricultural plants. Therefore, determining drought-resistant cultivars is of vital importance against increasing climate change. Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) is one of the most important economic agricultural plants grown worldwide. In this study, different drought stress tolerances (10% PEG (Polyethylene Glycol 6000) and water scarcity) were applied to four commercial tomato cultivars (Rio Grande, Falcon, H−2274, Tyfrane F1) and the effects of drought stress were evaluated within the scope of physiological (germination percentage, shoot length, root length, fresh weight, dry weight, total chlorophyll content, relative water content) and biochemical (protein amount, superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase activity (POX), catalase activity (CAT), hydrogen peroxide content (H2O2) and lipid peroxidation activity (TBARs)) parameters. According to the research results, it was determined that drought stress leads to decreased root–shoot lengths, chlorophyll content, relative water content, fresh and dry weights, and antioxidant enzyme activities in Falcon and H−2274 cultures, increasing TBARs and H2O2 amounts. While the relative water content, which is an indicator of drought stress, shows the water status of the plant, antioxidant enzyme systems are evidence of the resilience of the defense mechanisms of the cultures. In this context, the Falcon cultivar had significantly reduced shoot length (21%, 37%), relative water content (20%, 30%), chlorophyll content (7%, 23%), fresh weight (51%, 49%) and dry weight (9%, 29%) under PEG and water scarcity application; in contrast to these reductions, TBARs (2%, 14%) and H2O2 content (3%, 15%) were significantly increased compared to the control, proving that it is a susceptible cultivar. On the other hand, a slight decrease in relative water content (1%, 3%), a slight increase in total chlorophyll content (6%), intense CAT activity (50%, 67%) and SOD activity (30%), but a decrease in lipid peroxidation level (5%, 22%) and a decrease in H2O2 content (11%, 15%), were detected in the Rio Grande cultivar in PEG and water scarcity treatment compared to the control, proving that this cultivar is resistant to drought and can be effectively grown in water-scarce areas. It was determined that four tomato cultivars had different perception and antioxidant defense systems against drought stress. As a result, when four tomato cultivars under different drought stress levels were evaluated in terms of physiological and biochemical parameters, the tolerance levels were determined as Rio Grande > Tyfrane F1 ≈ Tyfrane F1 > H−2274 > Falcon. In this context, the different responses of tomato cultivars to PEG and water scarcity are important for the selection of drought-resistant cultivars and the development of strategies to increase plant productivity under abiotic stress conditions.

این آزمایش به منظور بررسی اثرات برخی محرک‌های رشد در بهبود شرایط رشد و نمو گل پروانش، در قالب طرح کاملا تصادفی در 5 تکرار انجام گرفت. تیمارها شامل: محلول پاشی ساده و ترکیبی، چهار ماده محرک رشد اسید اسکوربیک، اسید جیبرلیک، تیامین و بنزیل آدنین بود. نتایج حاصل از این آزمایش نشان داد که، تیمارهای به کاربرده شده بر کلیه پارامترهای اندازه گیری شده به غیر از طول عمر گل تاثیر معنی داری داشتند. با توجه به نتایج مشخص گردید که تیمار ترکیبی بنزیل آدنین به همراه تیامین و اسید اسکوربیک تعداد گل در بوته را از 72/6 به 32/16 عدد رساند و موجب افزایش 71 درصدی وزن تر بوته گردید و نیز وزن خشک بوته را بیش از دو برابر افزایش داد. همچنین تیمار بنزیل آدنین به همراه اسید جیبرلیک قطر گل را به میزان 25 درصد افزایش و تعداد شاخه جانبی و قند احیاء در تیمار ترکیبی بنزیل آدنین، تیامین و اسید اسکوربیک بیش از 100 درصد افزایش یافتند. طول شاخه جانبی در ترکیب چهارماده دوبرابر شد. نتایج نشان داد تیامین موجب افزایش 81، 88 و 59 درصدی کلروفیل a، کلروفیل b و کاروتنوئید شد.

In this study, grafted and ungrafted pepino (Solanum muricatum Ait.) plants were tested under different saline conditions. The nutrient solution experiment was conducted within October – November 2016, by employing the technique of Deep-Water Culture (DWC) in an entirely operated automatically climate chamber found in the Plant Physiology Laboratory of Erciyes University, Agriculture Faculty, Kayseri, Turkey. Plants were examined under three various salt levels (i.e., 1 dS m-1, 4 dS m-1 and 8 dS m-1) by growing them in a 8 liter pots loaded constantly in an aerated Hoagland solution. The study was organized with completely randomized block design through three repetitions. The climate chamber study was performed to investigate effects of salt stress on plant growth, shoot- root fresh- dry weights, photosynthesis, leaf area formation, chlorophyll content of leaf (SPAD), leaf and root electrolyte leakage, total length of root, volume of root, and diameter of root in grafted and ungrafted pepino plants. The results showed that shoot growth, root morphological and leaf physiological responses were considerably (p<0.001) influenced by various levels of salt conditions at the nutrient solution. Increased salt level of the nutrient solution decreased significantly root and shoot growth, area of leaf, photosynthetic activity of both grafted and ungrafted plants. Irrespective of being grafted, significant declines were observed in shoot fresh weight (23.6%, 52.1%), root fresh weight (24.8%, 52.8%), leaf area (21.3%, 51.9%), shoot dry weight (24.3%, 53.0%), root dry weight (15.4%, 45.1%), SPAD (5.7%, 18.7%), photosynthesis rate (24.6%, 42.1%), total root length (6.7%, 16.4%), and root volume (3.8%, 5.8%) of pepino plants under 4 dS m-1 salt applications and 8 dS m-1 salt applications, respectively. Grafting promoted growth of plant in pepino plants under both control and saline conditions, furthermore it was noticed that under saline conditions biomass production of both grafted and ungrafted ones were significantly depressed.Grafted plants produced 54.1%, 43.0% and 9.6% higher shoot fresh weight; 52.0%, 42.0% and 12.8% higher root fresh weight; 52.5%, 40.7% and 8.7% higher leaf area; 60.0%, 46.6% and 11.1% higher shoot dry weight; 68.8%, 36.0% and 29.3% higher root dry weight; 19.9%, 9.2% and 8.2% higher SPAD; 8.0%, 5.1% and 10.8% higher photosynthesis rate; 8.6%, 3.6% and 6.6% higher total root length; 3.1%, 6.7% and 2.4% higher root volume than ungrafted plants under 1 dS m-1, 4 dS m-1 and 8 dS m-1 salt applications, correspondingly. Overall, our study showed that the effectiveness of grafting with respect to expansion of plants growth and development under salinity. Grafting was demonstrated to be an effective mean to achieve this goal.

This study was conducted during the years of 2007, 2008 and 2009 in the green house and Laboratory of the Department of Horticulture, Faculty of Agriculture, Suez CanalUniversity, Ismalia, Egypt.This experiment was carried out to study the effect of seed priming under different levels of salinity on seed germination, seedling growth and field behavior of tomato. Under laboratory conditions, low salinity level (1500 ppm) or un saline (control) recorded maximum values of germination percentage (GP%), germination performance index (GPT) and coefficient of velocity and minimum values of mean germination time (MGT) , uniformity germination and T50 % and tallest seedling. Maximum values of fresh and dry weight/ seedling, total carbohydrate, total phenol and peroxidase enzyme activity were also recorded under low salinity level. Seed priming in KCl was the superior treatment for enhancing GP%, GPI, coefficient of velocity, both fresh and dry weight with no significant differences with NaCl with respect to coefficient of velocity. Under green house conditions, low salinity at 1500 ppm significantly increased growth rate, leaf production per week, both fresh and dry weight as well as number of leaves / plant, concentration of chlorophyll a and b as well as carotenoides in leaf tissues of tomato compared with other treatments or control. Seed priming in PEG significantly increased growth rate, leaf production per week, both fresh and dry weight and number of leaves/ plant, concentration of chlorophyll a and b as well as carotenoides in leaf tissues of tomato. The interaction between seed priming and salinity levels showed a significant effect on seedling growth and chemical constituents of germinated seeds of tomato. This study was conducted during the years of 2007, 2008 and 2009 in the green house and Laboratory of the Department of Horticulture, Faculty of Agriculture, Suez CanalUniversity, Ismalia, Egypt.This experiment was carried out to study the effect of seed priming under different levels of salinity on seed germination, seedling growth and field behavior of tomato. Under laboratory conditions, low salinity level (1500 ppm) or un saline (control) recorded maximum values of germination percentage (GP%), germination performance index (GPT) and coefficient of velocity and minimum values of mean germination time (MGT) , uniformity germination and T50 % and tallest seedling. Maximum values of fresh and dry weight/ seedling, total carbohydrate, total phenol and peroxidase enzyme activity were also recorded under low salinity level. Seed priming in KCl was the superior treatment for enhancing GP%, GPI, coefficient of velocity, both fresh and dry weight with no significant differences with NaCl with respect to coefficient of velocity. Under green house conditions, low salinity at 1500 ppm significantly increased growth rate, leaf production per week, both fresh and dry weight as well as number of leaves / plant, concentration of chlorophyll a and b as well as carotenoides in leaf tissues of tomato compared with other treatments or control. Seed priming in PEG significantly increased growth rate, leaf production per week, both fresh and dry weight and number of leaves/ plant, concentration of chlorophyll a and b as well as carotenoides in leaf tissues of tomato. The interaction between seed priming and salinity levels showed a significant effect on seedling growth and chemical constituents of germinated seeds of tomato.

Perennial sow thistle (Sonchus arvensis L.) is one of the Indonesian medicinal plants that contain flavonoid compounds. The research aimed to examine the effects of shading and mycorrhiza application toward the growth, fresh and dry weight of shoot, chlorophyll, nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and quercetin content of S. arvensis. The research was conducted in the greenhouse of the Soil Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Gadjah Mada University, Yogyakarta. The experimental design used was a split-plot design, with shading level as the main plot and mycorrhiza application as the subplot. Shading treatment comprised four levels: 0%, 25%, 40%, and 75%, whether subplot comprised two levels: control and with mycorrhizal inoculation. The result showed that shading significantly affected plant growth, fresh and dry weight of shoot, and chlorophyll content. Without shading levels (level 0%) resulted in the highest plant growth, nutrient uptake and yield. The shading level of 0% with AMF application resulted in the highest yield of quercetin. The chlorophyll a, b, and total chlorophyll content was not significantly different at 0%, 25%, and 40% shading levels but decreased significantly at 75% shade levels.

Kenaf (Hibiscus cannabinus L.), in the Malvaceae family, is an important crop for not only fiber production, but also various other industrial materials. We performed phylogenetic analysis and a genome-wide association study (GWAS) of seven agronomic traits: days to flowering, plant height, fresh weight, dry weight, flower color, stem color, and leaf shape, using 96 kenaf genotypes, including gamma-irradiation-derived mutant lines. Genotypes were determined by genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS) and a total of 49,241 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were used in the analysis. Days to flowering, plant height, fresh weight, and dry weight were positively correlated with each other, and stem color was also correlated with fresh weight and dry weight. The phylogenetic analysis divided the 96 lines into nine related groups within two independent groups, and the GWAS analysis detected a total of 49 SNPs for days to flowering, plant height, fresh weight, dry weight, flower color, stem color, and leaf shape with -log10(P) ≥ 4, of which 22 were located in genic regions. The detected SNPs were located in genes with homology ranging from 45% to 96% to plants of the Malvaceae and Betulaceae, and these genes were found to be involved in plant growth and development via various pathways. Our identification of SNP markers related to agronomic traits is expected to help improve the quality of selective breeding programs for kenaf.

The widespread application of micro-plastics (MP) and their release in the open environment has become a matter of worldwide concern. When interacting with contaminants such as heavy metals in the soil ecosystem, MPs can result in detrimental effects on the soil environment and plant growth and development. However, information based on the interaction between MPs and heavy metals and their effects on terrestrial plants is still limited. Keeping this in mind, the present study was conducted to explore the single and combined toxicity of polypropylene (PP) MPs (13 and 6.5 μm) and cadmium (Cd) on germination indices; root and stem growth; fresh and dry weight; and anti-oxidative enzyme activities of rice (Oryza sativa L.) seedlings. Our results indicated that a single application of PP MP and Cd on rice seedlings inhibited most of the germination indicators, while their co-occurrence (PP + Cd) showed a reduction in the overall toxicity to some extent. A single application of both the contaminants significantly inhibited root length, stem length, fresh weight and the activities of catalase (CAT), peroxidase (POD) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) enzymes in rice seedling, while no significant effect on dry weight was observed. The combined toxicity of both PP and Cd revealed that 13 μm PP + Cd had an antagonistic effect on the growth of rice seedlings, while 6.5 μm PP + Cd showed a synergistic effect. The present study revealed that smaller PP MP particles (6.5 µm) prominently affected plant growth more as compared to larger particles (13 µm). Our work reported the combined effect of PP MP and Cd on the germination and growth of rice for the first time. This study can provide the basis for future research on the combined effects of different types and sizes of MPs and heavy metals on the terrestrial ecosystem.

Biological remediation serves as a powerful technique for addressing heavy metals toxicity in metals-contaminated soils. The present study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of lead (Pb)-resistant rhizobacterial strains on growth, photosynthetic traits, and antioxidant activities of the Arabidopsis plant under lead toxicity in pot conditions. Two pre-isolated and pre-characterized Pb-resistant Morganella morganii (ABT3) and Morganella morganii (ABT9) strains were used for inoculating Arabidopsis plants grown under varying Pb concentrations (1.5 mM and 2.5 mM) using PbNO3 as the lead source. The treatments were set up in a completely randomized design with four replications. Data on growth parameters, physiological characteristics, lipid peroxidation, and antioxidant activities were recorded at harvesting. It was observed that Pb contamination caused a significant reduction in Arabidopsis growth, chlorophyll content and quantum yield at both lead concentrations. The Pb concentration of 2.5 mM, showed a substantial decrease in all parameters, including shoot fresh weight (58.72%), shoot dry weight (59.31%), root fresh weight (67.31%), root dry weight (67.28%), chlorophyll content (48.69%), quantum yield (62.36%), catalase activity (65.30%), superoxide dismutase (60.88%), and peroxidase activity (60.54%) while increasing lipid peroxidation (113.8%). However, the inoculation with Pb-resistant M. morganii strains (ABT3 and ABT9) improved plant growth, photosynthesis and antioxidant activities, while reduced the malondialdehyde content of Arabidopsis compared to control plants without inoculation. The M. morganii strain ABT9 showed a maximum increase in the shoot fresh weight (67.18%), shoot dry weight (67.96%), root fresh weight (94.04%), root dry weight (93.92%), shoot length (148.88%), root length (123.33%), chlorophyll content (52.53%), quantum yield (58.57%), catalase activity (39.46%), superoxide dismutase (21.84%), and peroxidase activity (22.34%) while decreasing lipid peroxidation (35.28%). PCA analysis further showed that all nine treatments scattered differently across the PC1 and PC2, having 81.4% and 17.0% data variance, respectively, indicating the efficiency of Pb-resistant strains. The heatmap further validated that the introduction of Pb-resistant strains positively correlated with the growth parameters, quantum yield, chlorophyll content and antioxidant activities of Arabidopsis seedlings. Both Pb-resistant strains improved Arabidopsis plant growth and photosynthetic efficiency under lead stress conditions. Thus, both Morganella morganii ABT3 and Morganella morganii ABT9 strains can be considered as bio-fertilizer for reducing lead toxicity thereby improving plant growth and physiology in metal-contaminated agricultural soils.

Recent development and enlargement of reclaimed lands along the sea shores required to explore alternatives to existing crops, which are suitable to grow well and to declare higher profits. The objectives of this study were to investigate yield-related parameters for development of new leafy vegetables, and to screen some candidates among New Zealand spinach genotypes which were collected in Korea. Initially all the collected genotypes were grown for 7 weeks in a greenhouse of the experiment field in Chungnam National University, and then transplanted into the field to measure morphological or physiological parameters (plant height, branch number, stem diameter, chlorophyll content, and maximum canopy diameter), and yield-related parameters (leaf number, leaf length, leaf width, fresh weight and dry weight). Those parameters were quantitatively measured at 1, 5 or 9 weeks after transplanting (WAT). Parameters exhibiting statistically significant difference among the accessions were plant height, branch number, maximum canopy diameter, chlorophyll content, and leaf length. In contrast to highly correlated parameters with fresh and dry weight obtained in salt-affected soil in the earlier report, fresh weight was correlated significantly with leaf length (r=0.72), leaf width (r=0.64), and canopy diameter(r=0.66), while dry weight was correlated significantly with plant height (r=0.46), leaf length (r=0.72), leaf width (r=0.73), fresh weight (r=0.79), chlorophyll content (r=0.47), and canopy diameter (r=0.87). Based on the significantly correlated with yield parameters, the candidate accessions which were ranked in top statistical groups include CNU06A01, CNU06A13, CNU06A26, CNU06A35, CNU06A38, and CNU06A55. In order to be cultivated in reclaimed lands, it is necessary to screen out salt tolerant accessions among the above high-yielding genotypes.

Plants in nature are constantly exposed to various stresses resulting from fluctuating environmental conditions which adversely affect their growth and development and may affect the performance of herbivores feeding on them. Drought and salinity are the most serious problems of agriculture due to climatic changes. According to global warming and drying of Urmia salty lake in Northwestern Iran which could result in salinization of agricultural lands nearby, the focus of this study was to examine the effect of two above mentioned stresses on a host plant and its pest population. Three levels of salinity (50 (low), 100 (intermediate) and 150 (high) mM NaCl) and water deficit (40–50% the amount of water given to control plants) were induced to common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) as stress factors and the following characteristics were measured: fresh and dry weight, leaf area, chlorophyll, carotenoid, proline and protein contents and CAT, APX and GPX enzyme activities. The life table parameters of two-spotted spider mite, Tetranychus urticae Koch, reared on stress-induced plants were measured and compared with control. The high saline condition caused plant defoliation and was deleted from results. The low saline condition caused an increase in fresh weight and decrease in chlorophyll and protein contents of plant. Intermediate saline condition caused an increase in APX and CAT enzyme activities and decrease of dry weight, chlorophyll, protein and proline contents. Drought condition caused an increase of APX and GPX enzyme activities and proline content and decrease of dry weight and chlorophyll content. Analysis of life table data of T. urticae showed a significant decrease of net reproductive rate (R0), mean generation time (T) and gross reproductive rate (GRR) of mites reared on plants under both of stresses. The intrinsic rate of increase (r) and finite rate of increase (λ) decreased significantly only for mites reared on plants under intermediate saline condition.

Plant growth promoting rhizobacteria are the bacteria which subsist inside and outside of the plant tissue and promote plant growth through direct or indirect mechanisms. To increase sorghum production and productivity we utilize herbicides and chemical fertilizers to overcome sorghum production constraints, but those chemicals have negative side effects. The current study was conducted with the objective of isolation of PGPR from sorghum rhizosphere and screening for primary growth related trait, evaluation of potential PGPR at greenhouse for sorghum growth performance and identify through biochemical characterization. So that, in this study a total of 117 plant growth promoting rhizobacteria were isolated from the rhizosphere of 12 sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L. Moench) genotype by cultivating using 3 collected soil samples from the northern part of Ethiopia (Amhara and Tigray regional states) in greenhouse. Isolated bacteria were screened for primary growth promoting traits such as phosphate solubilization test, IAA production test at different concentration of L-tryptophan and ammonia production test. From the isolated bacteria 28% solubilized Phosphorous, 78% produced IAA at different concentration of tryptophan. The greatest IAA production was scored at 100 mg/L of tryptophan and the lowest production of IAA was scored at 150 mg/L of tryptophan, 69% of isolated bacteria produced ammonia. Hence, 15% of isolated bacteria fulfilled the above primary screening test and used for further greenhouse evaluation. Accordingly, eighteen bacteria were tested for greenhouse experiment using completely randomized design and all 18 isolates were significantly increased all the agronomic parameter as compared to the control such as plant shoot height, plant shoot fresh and dry weight, root length, root fresh and dry weight at p < 0.01 and P ≤ 0.001. Two isolates G6E29 and G4E19 had significantly increased all the parameter but two isolates (G12E19 and G3E40) were statistically non-significant for root fresh weight compared to the control. These 18 potential isolates were characterized morphologically and biochemically. Eight isolates were grouped at Pseudomonas genera. Six isolates were grouped at Azotobacter and the rest four isolates were grouped at Bacillus genera. Thus, the use of plant growth promoting rhizosphere bacteria could be useful to improve sorghum production and productivity. However, further molecular identification and evaluation of the isolates exhibiting multiple plant growths promoting traits on plant-microbe interaction for economic crop of Ethiopia is needed to uncover their efficacy as effective plant growth promoting rhizosphere bacteria.

An experiment was carried out to assess flag leaf fresh and dry weight of advanced bread wheat genotypes and their relation with yield and yield components. A total of 25 bread wheat genotypes were tested during the 2017-2018 cycles in four locations in the Trakia region, Turkey. The experiment was conducted in a randomized complete blocks design (RCBD) with four replications. Grain yield (GY), spike number per square meter (SNM), kernel number per spike (KNS), spikelet number per spike (SNS), spike weight (SW), plant height (PH), peduncle length (PL), spike length (SL), flag leaf fresh weight (FLFW), flash leaf dry weight (FLDW) were investigated. The combined ANOVA revealed significant differences among genotypes (G), environments (E) and their interaction (G×E) for grain yield (p<0.01). The highest grain yield was performed by G21 (6807 kg ha-1) and G20 (6776 kg ha-1). Both genotypes also had higher yield potential across four environments. Therefore, they were considered stable genotypes. Flag leaf fresh and dry weight in wheat genotypes positively affected spike length, spikelet number per spike, kernel number per spike and spike weight. As the plant density per unit area increased, there was a decrease in flag leaf fresh and dry weight. Increasing in the spike number per square meter negatively affected and reduced flag leaf fresh and dry weight in wheat genotypes. Results showed that spike weight, flag leaf fresh and dry weight of the wheat genotypes could be used in the selection of wheat breeding study for yield components. The longest spike, the highest number of grains per spike and the number of spikelets were determined in G17, together with the yield above the average. In addition, G17 had the highest spike weight and flag leaf fresh and dry weight. For this reason, G17 has been determined that can be used in breeding studies due to its agronomic characteristics. The results of the research showed that flag leaf dry and fresh weight could be used for yield components in wheat breeding selection under rainfed conditions.