Number Of Lateral Roots Research Articles

Systematic analysis of the non-specific lipid transfer protein gene family in Nicotiana tabacum reveal its potential roles in stress responses

Plant non-specific lipid transfer proteins (nsLTPs) are characterized by an eight-cysteine motif backbone stabilized by four disulfide bonds; these proteins can bind or transfer lipids. NsLTPs play important roles in plant growth and development, and in the responses to abiotic and biotic stresses. In this study, 50, 51, and 100 nsLTPs from Nicotiana sylvestris, N. tomentosiformis, and their descendant N. tabacum, respectively, were identified and classified into six types (I, II, IV, V, VII, and VIII). The phylogeny, gene structures, motifs, tertiary structures, gene duplications and expression patterns were systematically analyzed. The intron/exon patterns and the conserved motifs were highly similar among the same types of nsLTP genes. Purifying selection and segmental duplication dominated the expansion of the nsLTPs family during evolution. Cis-regulatory elements of the NtLTP promoters were involved in light responsiveness, abiotic stress, and phytohormone responsiveness. Expression pattern analysis using RNA-seq and qPCR revealed that NtLTP family genes exhibited tissue-specific expression patterns and they have potential roles in response to abiotic and biotic stresses, especially drought stress, and resistance to black shank and bacterial wilt. Furthermore, overexpression of NtLTPI.38 in tobacco increased drought tolerance by improving the antioxidant defense ability, through reducing O2•— and H2O2 accumulation and increasing the number of lateral roots. These results provide a comprehensive overview of this gene family and provide valuable insights for the functional characterization of nsLTP family genes.

Jasmonic acid biosynthetic genes TgLOX4 and TgLOX5 are involved in daughter bulb development in tulip (Tulipa gesneriana).

Tulip bulbs are modified underground stems that originate from axillary meristems of mother bulb scales. Hormones, including jasmonic acids (JAs), play key roles in the regulation of tulip bulb development. Here, we compared variations in daughter bulb development through transcriptomic profiling analysis and characterized the functions of JA biosynthesis-related genes during daughter bulb enlargement. The results showed that tulip cultivars exhibited contrasting bulb size variations. Transcriptomic analyses revealed that genes involved in plant hormones and development, including the two lipoxygenase genes TgLOX4 and TgLOX5, showed significant changes in expression following tulip bulb growth. Ectopic overexpression of TgLOX4 and TgLOX5 in Arabidopsis enhanced endogenous JA content, improved plant growth, and increased lateral root numbers. Silencing of these two genes in tulip repressed the growth of daughter bulbs. Furthermore, exogenous JA treatment promoted tulip bulb growth, whereas the JA biosynthesis inhibitor sodium diethyldithiocarbamate (DIECA) inhibited this process. This study offers supporting evidence for the involvement of tulip TgLOX4 and TgLOX5 in the regulation of daughter bulb growth and development.

Effects of Phosphorus on Growth and Development of Soybean Seedlings

Soybean seedlings were treated with different phosphorus (P) concentrations for 20 days to investigate their growth and development. The root growth and development of soybean seedlings was the best when the concentration of phosphorus was 250 μmol/L. After 20 days of cultivation at this concentration, the roots of soybean seedlings were developed, indicating that the main root length, lateral root length, and the number of lateral root was the best among all treatments, and the number of lateral roots was quite a few. In addition, when the concentration of P was at 250 μmol/L, it had a better promotion effect on the plant height of soybean seedlings, and could significantly enhance the development of soybean seedlings. Moreover, the growth of soybean seedlings would be inhibited at the condition of phosphorus deficiency or excessive phosphorus. In this experiment, the growth indexes of soybean seedlings were compared between four treatments of phosphorus concentration, so as to make a basic study on the physiological effect of soybean on phosphorus in early stage.

Plant growth promoting bacteria enhances photosynthesis, nodulation and root system architecture in lentil under lead toxicity

The usage of plant growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB) in mitigation of harmful effects of lead (Pb) toxicity in plants and bioremediation of it from soils is a sustainable, effective and low-cost strategy. The experiment was laid out to investigate the role of PGPB on morphological and physiological growth, root system architecture and nodulation of lentil under Pb stress. The experiment was conducted according to completely randomized factorial design with four replications at the laboratory of the Field Crops Department, Siirt University, Siirt in 2022. The four Pb levels and three bacterial inoculations were used in the experiment. Plant height, seedling fresh weight, root fresh weight, seedling dry weight, root dry weight, total chlorophyll content, taproot length, number of lateral roots, total root length and number of nodule varied between 15.7-25.9 cm, 0.123-0.235 g, 0.019-0.092 g, 0.0104-0.0326 g, 0.0076-0.0146 g, 27.9-47.2%, 8.9-19.2 cm, 4.00-14.67, 17.6-44.8 cm and 1.37-10.63, respectively. Bio-priming with PGPB containing 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid (ACC) deaminase activity increased dry matter accumulation up to 56.1% and 22.9% in shoots and roots, respectively. Chlorophyll content enhanced up to 17.9% compared with control application. Besides, root system architecture and nodule formation were improved by bio-priming both under stress and non-stress conditions. Bio-priming with PGPB may be a sustainable solution to mitigate oxidative stress and promote plant growth and yield in lentil under Pb-contaminated soils.

English

Drought is one of the major abiotic stresses that significantly reduces seed cotton yield worldwide. Therefore, Drought tolerance is a complex phenomenon that comprises a combination of morphological and physiological parameters which results in the enhancement of drought tolerance in cotton. Therefore, in the present study 150 cotton genotypes were evaluated for drought tolerance by planting at two water regimes i.e., normal water and limited water conditions. Data were recorded for morphological and physiological parameters i.e. root fresh length (FRL), shoot fresh length (FSL), lateral root numbers (LRN), root fresh weight (FRW), shoot fresh weight (FSW), shoot dry weight (DSW), weight /length ratio(W), root dry weight (DRW), plant weight (PW), the difference in shoot fresh weight and shoot dry weight (SDWR), stomatal conductance (SC), canopy temperature (CT), water potential (WP), osmotic potential (OP) and relative water contents (RWC) at the seedling stage. Principal component analysis (PCA) of seedling at normal water conditions explained PCA1 35.21% and PCA2 15.25% of the total variance. The cluster analysis of the recorded data for the morpho-physiological parameters grouped 150 genotypes into six clusters. First Cluster included 16 cotton genotypes, 2nd cluster having 44, clusters 3, 4, 5, and 6 contains 22, 52, 10, and 6 genotypes respectively. In water stress conditions PCA1 containing 18 cotton genotypes, 2nd cluster having of 32 cotton genotypes, clusters 3, 4, 5, and 6 contain 14, 35, 30, and 21 genotypes, respectively. The use of morpho-physiological seedling traits associated with drought resistance can facilitate breeding strategies to evolve cotton genotypes having tolerance against drought stress in the changing climatic conditions. Screening of available cotton genotypes for drought tolerance in controlled greenhouse conditions can shorten the duration with improvement in efficiency for screening.

OsYUCCA2 deficiency in rice growth and development

ABSTRACT: YUCCA (YUC) proteins have critical roles in plant growth and development through their involvement in auxin production. Rice (Oryza sativa L. cv Nipponbare) has 14 OsYUC proteins, but little is known regarding their functional redundancy. In this study, transgenic rice seedlings expressing GUS-tagged antisense-OsYUC2 under the control of the ubiquitin promoter were used to investigate the effects of OsYUC2 deficiency on seedling growth and development. GUS staining showed that antisense-OsYUC2 was expressed primarily in rapidly dividing cells in callus, vegetative, and reproductive tissues. Phenotypic analysis showed that callus differentiation was compromised in OsYUC2 antisense rice. Adverse vegetative effects were observed in shoot height and embryonic, adventitious, and lateral root numbers. Reproductive tissues were also impacted, with reductions in panicle length, flower number, seed setting number, seed setting rate, and grain weight. Auxin analysis showed that indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) levels were reduced in OsYUC2 antisense rice, and exogenous addition of 3-indolebutyric acid (IBA, an analogue of IAA) partially rescued defective growth phenotypes. Taken together, these results indicated that deficiency of OsYUC2 impairs auxin biosynthesis, thereby affecting rice growth and development.

Genetic variability and heritability of nodulation, root morphology, yield contributing traits and their association in soybean

Soybean has a high nutritive value and numerous uses. An experiment was conducted to study the genetic variability and heritability of root morphology and nodulation traits along with other yield contributing characters of ten soybean genotypes to observe the relationship among the traits. The experiment was carried out in field conditions and data were collected from four months old plants. Three plants of each genotype were dug up from 40 cm soil depth to collect root traits. Analysis of variance revealed significant differences among soybean genotypes for plant height, ground area, leaves/plant, leaflets/plant, leaf area index, shoot fresh and dry weight, nodules/plant, nodule fresh and dry weight, root fresh and dry weight, primary root length, lateral roots/plant, pods/plant, 100-seeds weight, and yield/plant. A high heritability estimate was estimated for plant height (88.74%), ground area (68.57%), leaves/plant (64.15%), leaflets/plant (61.68%), leaf area index (77.01%), nodules/plant (60.30%), hundred seed weight (85.27%) and yield/plant (69.41%). Correlation analysis showed a significant relationship among the root and shoot traits. The principal component analysis revealed that the first five principal components (PC) explain 81.4% data variation. The soybean genotype PM-78-6-3-13 (S13) showed the maximum plant height, nodule fresh and dry weight, highest root fresh weight and the maximum number of lateral roots per plant, pods/plant and 100-seeds weight. The results suggested that looking at both nodulation and root traits could be useful for yield improvement in soybean.

Effects of Aluminium Toxicity on Root and Shoot Growth Of Rice and Chickpea Seedlings

Increasing concentrations of aluminium progressively declined primary root length and number of lateral roots in rice and chickpea seedlings grown in rhizobox. It also inhibited the root and shoot length, dry weight of root and shoot of rice and chickpea seedlings grown in solution culture. On the other hand, it enhanced shoot/root length ratio and dry weight ratio for both the genera. Bangladesh J. Bot. 50(4): 1195-1201, 2021 (December)

The role of AUX1 during lateral root development in the domestication of the model C4 grass Setaria italica.

C4 photosynthesis increases the efficiency of carbon fixation by spatially separating high concentrations of molecular oxygen from Rubisco. The specialized leaf anatomy required for this separation evolved independently many times. The morphology of C4 root systems is also distinctive and adapted to support high rates of photosynthesis; however, little is known about the molecular mechanisms that have driven the evolution of C4 root system architecture. Using a mutant screen in the C4 model plant Setaria italica, we identify Siaux1-1 and Siaux1-2 as root system architecture mutants. Unlike in S. viridis, AUX1 promotes lateral root development in S. italica. A cell by cell analysis of the Siaux1-1 root apical meristem revealed changes in the distribution of cell volumes in all cell layers and a dependence of the frequency of protophloem and protoxylem strands on SiAUX1. We explore the molecular basis of the role of SiAUX1 in seedling development using an RNAseq analysis of wild-type and Siaux1-1 plants and present novel targets for SiAUX1-dependent gene regulation. Using a selection sweep and haplotype analysis of SiAUX1, we show that Hap-2412TT in the promoter region of SiAUX1 is an allele which is associated with lateral root number and has been strongly selected for during Setaria domestication.

Sponging of glutamate at the outer plasma membrane surface reveals roles for glutamate in development.

Plants use electrical and chemical signals for systemic communication. Herbivory, for instance, appears to trigger local apoplasmic glutamate accumulation, systemic electrical signals, and calcium waves that travel to report insect damage to neighboring leaves and initiate defense. To monitor extra- and intracellular glutamate concentrations in plants, we generated Arabidopsis lines expressing genetically encoded fluorescent glutamate sensors. In contrast to cytosolically localized sensors, extracellularly displayed variants inhibited plant growth and proper development. Phenotypic analyses of high-affinity display sensor lines revealed that root meristem development, particularly the quiescent center, number of lateral roots, vegetative growth, and floral architecture were impacted. Notably, the severity of the phenotypes was positively correlated with the affinity of the display sensors, intimating that their ability to sequester glutamate at the surface of the plasma membrane was responsible for the defects. Root growth defects were suppressed by supplementing culture media with low levels of glutamate. Together, the data indicate that sequestration of glutamate at the cell surface either disrupts the supply of glutamate to meristematic cells and/or impairs localized glutamatergic signaling important for developmental processes.

Increase in root branching enhanced ferric-chelate reductase activity under iron stress in potato (Solanum tuberosum)

In response to Fe-deficiency, various dicots increase their root branching to improve ferric-chelate reductase activity. It still remains unclear, whether the response caused by Fe-deficiency ultimately improves the plant's ability to withstand Fe-deficiency. In this experiment conducted at ICAR-Central Potato Research Institute, Regional Station, Shillong during 2020, we demonstrated a substantial increase in the growth of the lateral root of potato genotype (CP 3443), when grown in the iron-stress, in relation to control plants, and the total lateral root number is well linked to ferric-chelate reductase (FCR) activity. These findings showed that FCR is involved in root Fe uptake in potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) and they suggest a role in Fe distribution throughout the plant. In view of these findings, the Fe-deficiency induced increases in the lateral roots suggested that these play a significant role in Fe-deficiency tolerance in potato, which can serve as useful trait for the identification of chlorosis tolerance and/or nutrient-deficiency stress.

4D Structural root architecture modeling from digital twins by X-Ray Computed Tomography

BackgroundBreakthrough imaging technologies may challenge the plant phenotyping bottleneck regarding marker-assisted breeding and genetic mapping. In this context, X-Ray CT (computed tomography) technology can accurately obtain the digital twin of root system architecture (RSA) but computational methods to quantify RSA traits and analyze their changes over time are limited. RSA traits extremely affect agricultural productivity. We develop a spatial–temporal root architectural modeling method based on 4D data from X-ray CT. This novel approach is optimized for high-throughput phenotyping considering the cost-effective time to process the data and the accuracy and robustness of the results. Significant root architectural traits, including root elongation rate, number, length, growth angle, height, diameter, branching map, and volume of axial and lateral roots are extracted from the model based on the digital twin. Our pipeline is divided into two major steps: (i) first, we compute the curve-skeleton based on a constrained Laplacian smoothing algorithm. This skeletal structure determines the registration of the roots over time; (ii) subsequently, the RSA is robustly modeled by a cylindrical fitting to spatially quantify several traits. The experiment was carried out at the Ag Alumni Seed Phenotyping Facility (AAPF) from Purdue University in West Lafayette (IN, USA).ResultsRoots from three samples of tomato plants at two different times and three samples of corn plants at three different times were scanned. Regarding the first step, the PCA analysis of the skeleton is able to accurately and robustly register temporal roots. From the second step, several traits were computed. Two of them were accurately validated using the root digital twin as a ground truth against the cylindrical model: number of branches (RRMSE better than 9%) and volume, reaching a coefficient of determination (R2) of 0.84 and a P < 0.001.ConclusionsThe experimental results support the viability of the developed methodology, being able to provide scalability to a comprehensive analysis in order to perform high throughput root phenotyping.

Deteksi Bakteri Endofit Dan Pengaruh Microbacterium arborescens Terhadap Pertumbuhan Sorgum Manis (Sorghum bicolor)

This research aims to detect the presence of potential endophytic bacteria, one of which is Microbacterium arborescens and study the effects on the growth of local variants of sweet sorghum plants from farmers in Sleman, Yogyakarta. This research began with infection of Microbacterium arborescens bacteria on sorghum seeds. Sorghum plants were grown in sterile media for 14 days after germination to observe seven growth parameters, including root length, number of lateral roots, stem length, number of leaves, leaf length, wet weight, and dry weight. Analysis of sweet sorghum growth parameters based on the one way ANOVA statistical test. Samples of infected and uninfected sorghum plants in the roots, stems, and leaves were amplified for the 16s rRNA gene using Bioline PCR hotstart mix. The primers used are universal primer Primer 27 f (59-AGA GTT TGA TCM TGG CTC AG-39) and 1492 r (59- TAC GGH TAC CTT GTT ACG ACT T-39). The root length and number of lateral roots between sweet sorghum with and without Microbacterium arborescens infection showed significant differences. The length of the control roots was 9.24 cm, the treatment plants were 6.38 cm, the control plants had six treatment roots, and the treatment plants had ten lateral roots.

Mutation of MEDIATOR16 promotes plant biomass accumulation and root growth by modulating auxin signaling

The MEDIATOR complex influences the transcription of genes acting as a RNA pol II co-activator. The MED16 subunit has been related to low phosphate sensing in roots, but how it influences the overall plant growth and root development remains unknown. In this study, we compared the root growth of Arabidopsis wild-type (WT), and two alleles of MED16 (med16-2 and med16-3) mutants in vitro. The MED16 loss-of-function seedlings showed longer primary roots with higher cell division capacity of meristematic cells, and an increased number of lateral roots than WT plants, which correlated with improved biomass accumulation. The auxin response reported by DR5:GFP fluorescence was comparable in WT and med16-2 root tips, but strongly decreased in pericycle cells and lateral root primordia in the mutants. Dose-response analysis supplementing indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), or the auxin transport inhibitor N-1-naphthylphthalamic acid (NPA), indicated normal responses to auxin in the med16-2 and med16-3 mutants regarding primary root growth and lateral root formation, but strong resistance to NPA in primary roots, which could be correlated with cell division and elongation. Expression analysis of pPIN1::PIN1::GFP, pPIN3::PIN3::GFP, pIAA14:GUS, pIAA28:GUS and 35S:MED16-GFP suggests that MED16 could mediate auxin signaling. Our data imply that an altered auxin response in the med16 mutants is not necessarily deleterious for overall growth and developmental patterning and may instead directly regulate basic cellular programmes.

Overexpression of the Selaginella lepidophylla bHLH transcription factor enhances water-use efficiency, growth, and development in Arabidopsis

Abiotic stresses have the greatest impact on the growth and productivity of crops, especially under current and future extreme weather events due to climate change. Thus, it is vital to explore novel strategies to improve crop plant abiotic stress tolerance to feed an ever-growing world population. Selaginella lepidophylla is a desiccation-tolerant spike moss with specialized adaptations that allow it to tolerate water loss down to 4% relative water content. A candidate basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) transcription factor was highly expressed at 4% relative water content in S. lepidophylla (SlbHLH). This SlbHLH gene was codon-optimized (SlbHLHopt) and overexpressed in Arabidopsis for functional characterization. Overexpression of the SlbHLHopt gene not only significantly increased plant growth, development, and integrated water-use efficiency, but also significantly increased seed germination and green cotyledon emergence rates under water-deficit stress and salt stress conditions. Under a 150 mM NaCl salt stress condition, SlbHLHopt-overexpressing lines increased primary root length, the number of lateral roots, and fresh and dry biomass at the seedling stage compared to control lines. Interestingly, SlbHLHopt-overexpressing lines also have significantly higher flavonoid content. Altogether, these results suggest that SlbHLH functions as an important regulator of plant growth, development, abiotic stress tolerance, and water-use efficiency.

A new perspective on the inhibition of plant photosynthesis by uranium: decrease of root activity and stomatal closure

Uranium (U) is difficult to be transported from roots to leaves, but it has been reported to inhabit photosynthesis in leaves, so how does this work? In the present study, the effects of U (0–25 μM) on the development and photosynthesis in V. faba seedlings were studied under hydroponics. The results showed that U significantly inhibited the growth and development of V. faba plants, including decreased biomass, water content, lateral root number and root activity. U also led to a large accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the leaves which affects leaf structural traits (e.g., decreased leaf area and chlorophyll a content). When U concentration was 25 μM, the net photosynthetic rate (Pn) and transpiration rate (Tr) were inhibited, which were only 66.53% and 41.89% of the control, respectively. Further analysis showed that the stomatal density of leaves increased with the increase of U concentration, while the stomatal aperture and stomatal conductance (Gs) were on the contrary. The results of chlorophyll fluorescence showed that the non-photochemical quenching coefficient (NPQ) increased and the electron transfer rate (ETR) decreased after U exposure, but fortunately, photosystem II (PSII) suffered little damage overall. In conclusion, the accumulation of U in the roots inhibited the root activity, resulting in water shortage in the plants. To prevent water loss, leaves have to regulated stomatal closure at the cost of weakening photosynthesis. These results provide a new insight into the mechanism by which U affects plant photosynthesis.

Putrescine biosynthetic pathways modulate root growth differently in tomato seedlings grown under different N sources

The biosynthesis of putrescine is mainly driven by arginine decarboxylase (ADC) and ornithine decarboxylase (ODC). Hence, in this study, we generated independent ADC and ODC transgenic silenced tomato lines (SilADC and SilODC, respectively) to test the effect of defective ADC and ODC gene expression on root development under nitrate (NN) or ammonium (NA) conditions. The results showed that SilODC seedlings displayed an increase in ADC expression that led to polyamine accumulation, suggesting a compensatory effect of ADC. However, this effect was not observed in SilADC seedlings. These pathways are involved in different growth processes. The SilADC seedlings showed an increase in fresh weight, shoot length, lateral root number and shoot:root ratio under the NN source and an enhancement in fresh weight, and shoot and root length under NA conditions. However, SilODC seedlings displayed greater weight and shoot length under the NN source, whereas a decrease in lateral root density was found under NA conditions. Moreover, two overexpressed ODC lines were generated to check the relevance of the compensatory effect of the ADC pathway when ODC was silenced. These overexpressed lines showed not only an enhancement of almost all the studied growth parameters under both N sources but also an amelioration of ammonium syndrome under NA conditions. Together, these results reflect the importance of both pathways in plant growth, particularly ODC silencing, which requires compensation by ADC induction.

Mycorrhiza helper bacterium Bacillus pumilus HR10 improves growth and nutritional status of Pinus thunbergii by promoting mycorrhizal proliferation.

Mycorrhizal helper bacteria (MHB) play an important role in mediating mycorrhizal symbiosis, which improves the growth and nutrient uptake of plants. This study examined the growth-promoting effects and mechanisms of pine growth after inoculation with the MHB Bacillus pumilus HR10 and/or Hymenochaete sp. Rl. The effect of B. pumilus HR10 on Hymenochaete sp. Rl growth, enzyme activity and gene expression related to mycorrhiza formation were determined. The growth, root activity, nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium content and chlorophyll fluorescence activity of Pinus thunbergii and the mycorrhizal colonization intensity of Hymenochaete sp. Rl-inoculated pine seedlings after inoculation with B. pumilus HR10 were also evaluated. The results showed that B. pumilus HR10 promoted growth, regulated the expression of mycorrhizal-related genes and affected the β-1,3-glucanase activity of Hymenochaete sp. Rl. The mycorrhizal colonization intensity of pine seedlings co-inoculated with B. pumilus HR10 and Hymenochaete sp. Rl was 1.58-fold higher than seedlings inoculated with only Hymenochaete sp. Rl. Inoculation with B. pumilus HR10 and/or Hymenochaete sp. Rl increased lateral root number and root activity of pine seedlings and chlorophyll fluorescence activity of pine needles compared with the control. Bacillus pumilus HR10 facilitated nutrient uptake by enhancing the mycorrhizal proliferation of pine and induced greater photosynthesis and root activity of pine seedlings, which confirms its role as an outstanding plant-growth-promoting rhizobacterium. These findings improve our understanding of the mechanism of B. pumilus HR10 promotion of mycorrhizal symbiosis.

Exploring biofertilizer potential of plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria Bacillus clausii strain B8 (MT305787) on Brassica napus and Medicago sativa

Plant Growth Promoting Rhizobacteria (PGPR) are soil bacteria that can stimulate plant growth by supplying substances that are usually in limited quantities in the soil especially phosphorous, nitrogen and growth hormone such as indole acetic acid (AIA). These bacteria can also slow the growth of plant pathogens through the production of several antimicrobial metabolites. To investigate the role of rhizobacteria as a biostimulant agent a novel bacterium B8, isolated from the rhizospheric soil of medlar (Mespilus germanica L.- Family Rosaceae), was evaluated on Brassica napus and Medicago sativa. In addition to the classical methods of identification (physiological and biochemical tests), B8 was identified by 16S rRNA gene sequencing as Bacillus clausii. The ability of the strain to produce lytic enzymes such as cellulases, chitinases, pectinases, and phospholipases was studied. Furthermore, the strain B8 was tested for the capability to produce plant growth metabolites like phosphatases and phytases in order to solubilize inorganic phosphate and production of siderophores, cyanhydric acid (HCN) and indole-3-acetic acid. The strain was able to produce lytic enzymes, with an intense production of siderophores and to solubilize inorganic phosphate. Result of in vivo experiments indicated that the application of B8 at 107 CFU/mL, improved markedly the germination rate of rapeseed, whereas alfalfa seeds treated with the same strain showed a lower germination rate than the controls. The vegetative growth parameters; Roots length, lateral roots number, stem length, number of leaves, diameters of stems and plant weight were significantly improved. We also noted capacity of bacteria to colonize root systems of both plants B. napus and M. sativa in one week of inoculation. The overall results of this study showed that B clausii B8 has a great potential to be commercialized as a biostimulant agent and provide promising new option for sustainable agriculture.

Influence of Illumination Time and Soil Moisture on Seed Germination and Seedling Establishment of Magnolia sprengeri Pamp.

This study investigated the effects of illumination time and soil moisture on seed germination and seedling establishment of Magnolia sprengeri Pamp. to improve the seed germination percentage and seedling survival percentage of M. sprengeri. It is of great significance for rapid propagation, seedling regeneration, field management, and artificial high-efficiency cultivation of M. sprengeri. In this study, the seeds of natural M. sprengeri populations from original habitat were used as test materials. Seed germination and seedling establishment of M. sprengeri were performed under different illumination time and soil moisture treatments in artificial climate incubator. The study found that there were significant differences among various key parameters related to seed germination and seedling establishment under different treatments (P &lt; 0.05). Germination percentage, germination potential, germination index, vigor index, germination rate, plant height, number of leaves, base diameter, taproot length, number of lateral roots, maximum lateral root length, single plant leaf area, fresh weight, and seedling survival rate reached the maximum at continuous illumination and 13% of soil moisture, respectively. By the integrative evaluation for the influence of these two factors on seed germination and seedling establishment, soil moisture is a dominant factor affecting seed germination and seedling establishment, whereas illumination is an important promoting factor for seedling establishment of M. sprengeri. Continuous illumination and 13% of soil moisture content is suitable for seed germination and seedling establishment of M. sprengeri.