Abstract
Fruit maturity for seed production can occur at various times because of the continual flowering of pepper plants. Accordingly, seeds with different maturity are acquired as the fruits are collected in a single harvest. Immature seeds obtained in this harvest may lead to a decrease in the quality of seed lots. Therefore, this research aimed to evaluate the influence of four different endophytic bacteria strains (Pseudomonas fluorescens strain L5b, Pseudomonas gessardii strain L13, Bacillus subtilis strain Bs1 and Bacillus mojavensis strain ApBm) on germination and seedling vigor of immature and mature bell pepper seeds. To obtain seeds with different maturity levels, fruits were collected 45–49 days after flowering for immature seeds and 65–69 days for mature seeds. The effectiveness of these bacteria strains was examined by coating seeds with four different endophytic bacteria strains separately. Additionally, to see the activity of endophytic bacteria more clearly, a mock treatment with sterile water was added to the experiment as a control (+) group. Bio-priming (especially strain Bs1 and L13) improved germination and seedling emergence characteristics of both immature and mature seed lots compared to control groups (p < 0.05). The results demonstrate that bio-priming with beneficial endophytic bacteria can be used to stimulate the quality of both immature and mature seeds from the pepper.
Highlights
Seeds are one of the vital components and the means of gaining high-quality crops, mainly in vegetable production
There were dual statistical interactions determined between maturity levels and bio-priming treatments for germination and vigor tests
The impact of bio-priming on germination percentage changed with maturity levels (Table 1)
Summary
Seeds are one of the vital components and the means of gaining high-quality crops, mainly in vegetable production. Detection of suitable harvest time for seed maturity with high quality is crucial for seeds that have high moisture content during development [1]. Pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) seeds keep seed moisture at maturity [2], and high germination percentage is not attained because of the subsequent flowering on the mother plant. The proper harvest time for fruit maturation influences the pepper seeds’ seed quality [3,4,5], which affects high-quality transplant production in pepper. Immature pepper seeds need a longer time to germinate and lose quality faster. Improving and preserving seed quality in this species has great importance
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
