Growth Of Soybean Plants Research Articles

Identification of Linalool Disaccharide Glycoside (Linalyl β-Vicianoside) in Soybean Leaves and Its Implication for Herbivore Resistance.

Linalool is anticipated to have significant ecological roles. In this study, linalyl 6-O-α-arabinopyranosyl-β-D-glucopyranoside (linalyl β-vicianoside: LinVic) was synthesized, and a linalool diglycoside purified from soybean leaves was identified as LinVic by using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. High levels of LinVic were detected in leaves and sepals during soybean plant growth. The LinVic content did not significantly increase following methyl jasmonate treatment of the leaves, indicating that its synthesis is independent of the jasmonic acid signaling pathway. In addition to LinVic, soybean also contains 1-octen-3-yl primeveroside. We treated soybean leaves with vaporized linalool and 1-octen-3-ol to determine whether the glycosylation system discriminates between these two volatile alcohols. Linalool treatment resulted in the accumulation of LinVic, while 1-octen-3-ol treatment caused little change in the amount of 1-octen-3-yl primeveroside, suggesting discrimination between these compounds. Linalool-treated soybean leaves exhibited increased resistance against common cutworms, indicating that LinVic may contribute to herbivore resistance.

Elevated CO2 concentration enhances plant growth, photosynthesis, and ion homeostasis of soybean under salt-alkaline stress

Salt-alkaline stress adversely affects growth and productivity of soybean. In the event of global climate change, the effects of elevated CO2 concentration (eCO2) and salt-alkaline stress on soybean remain unclear. This study investigated the combined effects of elevated CO2 concentration (700 μmol·moL−1) and salt-alkaline stress on soybean growth, gas exchange, pigments profiles, antioxidative enzyme activities, osmolyte accumulation, Na+ and K+ contents, and genes involved in ion homeostasis. This study suggested that eCO2 improved plant physiological performance due to the greater net photosynthetic rate (+212.49 %) and water use efficiency (+92.86 %). Both salt-alkaline stress and eCO2 significantly increased catalase (CAT) activity in leaves and stems, significantly increased superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity in stems, and significantly increased peroxidase (POD) activity in whole plants of soybean. eCO2 significantly inhibited Na+ absorption as indicated by decreased Na+ contents in whole plants under salt-alkaline stress accompanied by lower relative electrical conductivity, thus reducing osmotic and ionic stress. eCO2 induced enhancement of expressions of gene encoding the ion transporter of GmHKT1;2, GmHKT1;5, GmHKT1;6, GmNHX5, and GmSOS1 in stems mediated Na+ and K+ transport, thus benefiting to keep ions homeostasis. These results suggest that eCO2 contributes to enhancing soybean tolerance to saline-alkaline stress.

Optimizing an Ultisol of marginal land for soybean cultivation through inorganic fertilizer substitution with Tithonia compost and biochar ameliorant

Soybean has a strategic role as a food commodity in Jambi, Indonesia, but until now, it has still not been self-sufficient. There is still an opportunity to increase soybean productivity in Jambi by 35-49.6% by optimizing the use of marginal, dominated by Ultisol, which has low inherent soil fertility. One of the efforts that can be made to improve soil fertility for cultivating soybean plants in Jambi is to utilize compost and biochar as soil ameliorants to substitute for inorganic fertilizer. This study aimed to assess the effect of compost and biochar ameliorant as substitutes for inorganic fertilizer on the growth and yield of soybean plants grown on an Ultisol of Jambi. The experiment was arranged in a simple randomized block design with the combination of the percentage of inorganic fertilizer with compost and biochar ameliorant (100+0, 75+25, 50+50, 25+75, and 0+100) as the treatment factors. The observed variables were plant height, number of branches, plant nitrogen content, rate of symbiotically fixed nitrogen, weight of 100 seeds, and yield. The results showed that providing compost and biochar ameliorants can replace the role of inorganic fertilizer, and providing 100% compost and biochar ameliorant and a combination of 25% inorganic fertilizer and 75% compost biochar ameliorant can provide the highest growth and yield in soybean plants planted in Ultisol dry land.

Beneficial or detrimental? How nickel application alters the ionome of soybean plants

The use of nickel (Ni) in agriculture may represent one of the most significant cases of plant hormesis ever reported, as plants exhibit both positive and negative responses depending on the level of exposure to this element. For a more comprehensive understanding of this effect, the next step is to conduct studies on the dynamics of pre-existing chemical elements in the system (ionomic profile), especially when introducing Ni as a novel nutrient for the plants. This micronutrient is of particular interest to the fertilization of leguminous plants, such as the soybean, due to its additional effects on the biological nitrogen fixation process. This study thus evaluated the influence of five doses of Ni (0.0, 0.5, 1.0, 3.0, and 9.0 mg of Ni kg−1) on the ionomic profile of soybean genotypes using modern quantification techniques. The results revealed that the addition of Ni reduced the concentration of cationic micronutrients manganese (Mn), iron (Fe), zinc (Zn), and copper (Cu), while it increased the concentration of macronutrients nitrogen (N) and magnesium (Mg). The application of Ni also resulted in a reduction of the potentially toxic element aluminum (Al). Correlations were also observed for these elements, indicating that Ni could be a controlling agent in elemental absorption and translocation. The ionome of the leaf tissues exhibited the most significant alterations, followed by the grains, nodules, and roots. Exogenous agronomic doses of Ni proved beneficial for the growth and production of soybean plants, although a genotypic effect was observed. The treatment with 9.0 mg of Ni kg−1, resulted in a new ionomic profile related to toxicity, demonstrating suboptimal plant development. Thus, the application of Ni in appropriate doses had a significant impact on the ionomic profile of soybeans, improving plant development and implying resistance to potentially toxic elements such as Al.

Foliar application of silicon and selenium reduce the toxicity of cadmium to soybeans

Silicon (Si) and selenium (Se), two environmental protection materials, which are beneficial to plant growth and stress resistance, can also alleviate crop stress induced by heavy metals. However, the effects of Si, Se and their interactions in reducing cadmium (Cd) toxicity and the related mechanisms require further elucidation. Hence, this study implemented a foliar application of Si and Se on soybean (Glycine max L.) that subjected to Cd-induced stress with four treatments (sole/combined application of Si, Se, no fertilizer treatment). The results demonstrated that Si and Se showed effective mitigation of Cd toxicity on soybeans mainly by promoting growth, enhancing photosynthesis, maintaining root vigor, improving antioxidant capacity, alleviating oxidative damage, altering the storage form, subcellular distribution of Cd in soybeans, and was more noticeable when combined overall (Si + Se＞Se＞Si). Si + Se increased root activity by 28% and CAT activity in leaves by 130.65%. Overall, the combined application of Si and Se exhibited a pronounced synergistic effect in enhancing the healthy growth of soybean plants under Cd pollution, with a more prominent impact observed following the second fertilization.

Prothioconazole Stress Reduces Bacterial Richness and Alters Enzyme Activity in Soybean Rhizosphere.

Prothioconazole (PTC) is currently a popular triazole fungicide. In recent years, as the use of PTC has increased, there has been growing concern about its environmental and toxicological effects. Here, we studied the effect of PTC on the growth of soybean plants and further analyzed the enzyme activity and microbial community of rhizosphere soil after PTC treatment through 16S rRNA gene high-throughput sequencing and fungal ITS. Changes in structural diversity and species richness were measured using Simpson's diversity index, Shannon's diversity index and the Chao1 and ACE algorithms. The statistical t-test was applied to test whether the index values were significantly different between the two groups. The results showed that the contents of malondialdehyde (MDA) and H2O2 increased after the recommended dose of PTC, indicating that PTC has a strong toxic effect on plant growth, thus affecting the healthy growth of plants. In the presence of PTC, the species richness of fungi and bacteria decreased in all three soil types (black soil, yellow earth and red earth), and the community structure also changed significantly (the p-values were all less than 0.05). Proteobacteria, Actinomycetota, Bacteroidota and Acidobacteriota were the main bacteria, and the abundance of Acidobacteriota and Chloroflexi increased. The dominant fungal communities were Ascomycota and Mortierellomycota. The increased abundance of potentially beneficial microorganisms, such as Sphingomonadaceae, suggested that plants may be resistant to PTC stress by recruiting beneficial microorganisms. PICRUSt analysis showed that the metabolism-related functions and membrane transport pathway of rhizosphere bacterial community were inhibited after PTC stress. Spearman correlation analysis revealed a weak correlation between key fungal taxa and rhizosphere variables in the presence of PTC. Therefore, compared with those in the fungal community, the bacterial community was more likely to help plants resist PTC stress, indicating that these key fungal groups may indirectly help soybean growth under PTC stress by affecting the bacterial community.

Response to The Use of Liquid Organic Fertilizer on Vegetative Growth in Soybean Plants Black (Glycine Soja L. Merrill) with Two Different Cultivars

Soybean-based food business and population growth drive the increase in soybean consumption every year in Indonesia. Soybean varieties and liquid organic fertilizer applications can help overcome losses in soybean plant growth and productivity. This study used a randomized block design (RAK) with treatment consisting of 2 factors with 3 repetitions. Factor i liquid organic fertilizer (p), consists of 4 levels, namely: p0 = 0 ml, p1 = 20 ml, p2 = 40 ml, p3 = 60 ml. the 2nd factor cultivar (k), consists of 2 types, namely: k1 = cultivar detam 1, k2 = cultivar detam 3. The results showed that the response and effectiveness of the application of soybean peel poc and different cultivars did not significantly affect the vegetative growth of black soybean plants, but when viewed as a whole p3 (60 ml) gave the highest value on the parameters of leaf area index 21 hst, root nodules, chlorophyll a, and chlorophyll b content.

Enhancing the Growth and Yield of Soybean Plants with Plant Growth Promoting Rhizobacteria and Liquid Organic Fertilizer

Background: Many organic wastes are currently used as organic fertilizers. Giving organic fertilizer to plants has a very good impact on soil and plants. The combination of LOF and PGPR can certainly increase the growth and production of soybean plants. This research was conducted in Tanjung Sari Village, Rembang, Central Java from November 2021 to January 2022. Analytical activities were carried out at the Land Resources Laboratory, Faculty of Agriculture, National Development University "Veteran" East Java. Method: This research method uses a factorial Completely Randomized Design (CRD) consisting of 9 treatments 3 replicates so that 27 experimental units are obtained. The first factor is PGPR (A), namely A0: Without PGPR A1: Banana Bark, A2: Bamboo Root and the second factor is LOF (B), namely B0: Without LOF B1: Banana stem B2: Bamboo shoots. Result: The results of this study showed that the combination of PGPR + LOF treatments made from local raw materials was effective in helping the growth of soybean plants obtained by the combination A2B2 (PGPR bamboo root + LOF bamboo shoot) with the number of pods 36 pods, and plant height 56.60cm, in terms of c-organic analysis (3.05%), N (0.63%), P (15.37%), K (1.23%). This combination is best because it contains lignocellulase enzyme and growth regulators. Conclusion: The combination of PGPR + local raw material-based LOF is effective in enhancing the growth of soybean plants.

Effectiveness of Elephant Grass (Pennisetum purpureum) Green Fertilizer on the Growth of Soybean Plants (Glycine max L. Merrill)

Soybeans (Glycine max L. Merrill) After rice and corn, it is the third most important food commodity and occupies a strategic position in the country's food policy, It plays a very important role in the nutrition of the Indonesian population. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of soybean plant (Glycine Max). The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of green manure Pennisetum purpureum on plant growth (Merrill). The study was conducted in Batu Melengangan Village, Langkat Regency, using an experimental method involving 2 treatments, namely P0 (without green fertilizers) and P1 (200 grams of green elephant grass fertilizer), and a completely randomized, non-evidence-based design (CRD). In analyzing the data from this study, the SPSS program used parametric tests, i.e. Anova and Duncan tests, and nonparametric tests, i.e. KRUSKAL-Wallis and Mann-Whitney tests. The results of the study show that there was effectiveness of elephant grass green fertilizer (Pennisetum purpureum) on the growth of soybean stem height with an average of 36.25 cm, number of soybean leaves with an average of 46,775 pieces, the age at which soybean flowers emerged with an average of 36.6 days, and the age at which soybeans emerge is an average of 43.2 days. The most effective green manure treatment for the growth of soybean plants (Glycine max L. Merrill) was in treatment P1 (200 gr grass green manure).

Effect of Various Biochar Materials and Levels of Chicken Manure Fertilizer on Soil Chemical, Growth and Yield of Soybean (Glycine max L Merrill)

This study aims to determine the effect of various biochar materials and doses of chicken manure fertilizer on soil chemical properties, growth and yield of soybean. The research method used a 2 factorial Randomised Group Design. The first factor was the treatment of various biochar materials consisting of 4 levels, namely: B0 without treatment, B1 (corn cob biochar 1.5 kg/m2, B2 (jengkol bark biochar 1.5 kg/m2), B3 (rice husk biochar 1.5 kg/m2). Factor II was chicken manure (P) consisting of P0 (0 kg/m2), P1 (0.5 kg/m2), P2 (1 kg/m2 and P3 (1.5 kg/m2). The application of various biochar materials and chicken cohe fertilizer gave a real response to soil pH, organic C, total N, available P and K available. The results showed that the application of biochar to the growth and yield of soybean plants gave a significant effect on the parameters of stem diameter, number of productive branches, number of pods, dry weight of seeds/m2, seed production/ha. The application of jengkol skin biochar gave the highest effect on stem diameter (1.750 cm), number of productive branches (5.06 branches), number of pods (181.60 pods), dry weight of seeds/m2 (442.98 grams). The application of chicken manure fertilizer on the growth and yield of soybean plants gives a significant effect on stem diameter, number of productive branches, number of pods, dry weight of seeds/plot. The dose of chicken manure fertilizer 1.5 kg/m2 showed the highest effect on stem diameter (1.79 cm), number of productive branches (5.19 branches), number of pods (184.22 pods), dry weight of seeds/m2 (398.50 g). The interaction of biochar and chicken manure fertilizer did not give significant effect on all treatments. Keywords: Biomass, Biochar, Chicken Manure, Soybean

Effect of physiologically active substances on the growth, development and yield of soybeans

The results of research on the influence of physiologically active substances on the growth, development and yield of soybean in the conditions of the Middle Volga region are presented. The study of preparations was carried out on the released soybean variety Yuzhanka. The preparations Mival Agro, Vitanol NP (N 10%, P 30%), Vitanol NP (N 30%, P 10%) and NanoSilica were applied at the dosages recommended by the manufacturers. The experiment scheme included four variants of treatments with preparations and control (water). The preparations were applied for pre-sowing seed treatment and spraying of vegetative plants. The growth regulator Mival Agro (seed and plant treatment) provided a 23.1% increase in yield. Treatment with Vitanol NP (N 10%, P 30%) gave an 18.3% yield increase compared to the control. The highest yield was obtained in the variant with Vitanol NP treatment (N 30%, P 10%), which exceeded the control variant by 68.8%. The yield increase when treated with NanoSilicon exceeded the control variant by 29.4%. Application of all physiologically active substances had a positive effect on the growth, development and productivity of soybean plants. Application of Vitanol NP (N 10%, P 30%) had a positive effect on the yield structure parameters such as plant height (527 cm) and lower bean attachment height (15.8 cm). Vitanol NP (N 30%, P 10%) and NanoSilica preparations contributed to the increase in the number of beans (18.1–18.2 pcs). Also, the studied preparations had a positive effect on 1000 seed weight, plant height and height of the lower bean attachment, compared to the control.

Effect of row distance on plant architecture, weed suppression and yield of silage maize (Zea mays L.) and soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.) in a pesticide-free cultivation system in Southern Germany

Conventional farming prioritizes monocultures and synthetic chemicals to secure high yields. However, there are a growing number of initiatives worldwide to reduce or eliminate the use of pesticides. One option for pesticide-free weed management is the adjustment of sowing pattern (row distance, plant arrangement, sowing density). This study investigated the effects of an equal distance sowing versus a normal distance sowing (EDS and NDS1) at constant sowing density on plant morphology, growth and yield of silage maize (Zea mays L.) and soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.) as well as the weed occurrence. Therefore, a 3-year (2020–2022) pesticide-free, field experiment was conducted at the Heidfeldhof Research Station, University of Hohenheim, Germany. In silage maize, neither plant architecture nor biomass yield showed significant differences between EDS with 0.375 m and NDS with 0.75 m row distance. In contrast, soybean developed a bushier plant architecture with more branches and shorter petioles in EDS with 0.15 m compared to plants in NDS with 0.50 m row distance, demonstrating phenotypic plasticity. A higher number of pods per plant (EDS: 28.05; NDS: 22.73) and seed yield (EDS: 406.58 g m−2; NDS: 389.34 g m−2) indicated the potential for increased yields applying EDS. Crop competitiveness against weeds was higher in EDS than in NDS, especially early in the growing season. The results highlight the importance of EDS as a valuable tool for pesticide-free, non-organic cropping systems through positive effects on crop yield and efficient weed control.

Effects of phosphate fertilization and sulfadiazine on plant growth, root morphology, nitrogen and phosphorus uptake of soybean and maize

Low soil phosphorus (P) availability is a limiting factor for crop production. Application of livestock manure as organic fertilizer can increase soil P availability, but may cause soil contamination with antibiotics such as sulfadiazine (SD), thus adversely affecting plant growth and nutrient uptake. The effects of P (0 and 50 mg kg−1) and SD (0, 1, 10, and 100 mg kg−1) levels on plant growth, root development, and nitrogen (N) and P uptake of maize and soybean were examined in a pot experiment using a loess soil as the test soil. High levels of SD considerably inhibited plant growth of both crops. Both P fertilization and SD negatively affected root development of both crops, especially at higher SD levels. For both crops, the average root diameter and the proportion of thick roots increased with increasing soil SD level. When soil SD level was ≤10 mg kg−1, the effects of P fertilization and SD on plant N and P concentrations, and N:P, N- and P-utilization efficiency were not significant in most cases. The effects of SD on plant N and P nutrition could not be of a great concern when soil SD level was ≤10 mg kg−1. Overall, soil SD pollution could reduce plant biomass and inhibit root development of soybean and maize, with a stronger effect on root development than on plant biomass at a high soil SD level (≥10 mg kg−1). In agricultural production, attention should be paid to soil SD pollution via manure application.

Modeling soybean growth: A mixed model approach.

The evaluation of plant and animal growth, separately for genetic and environmental effects, is necessary for genetic understanding and genetic improvement of environmental responses of plants and animals. We propose to extend an existing approach that combines nonlinear mixed-effects model (NLMEM) and the stochastic approximation of the Expectation-Maximization algorithm (SAEM) to analyze genetic and environmental effects on plant growth. These tools are widely used in many fields but very rarely in plant biology. During model formulation, a nonlinear function describes the shape of growth, and random effects describe genetic and environmental effects and their variability. Genetic relationships among the varieties were also integrated into the model using a genetic relationship matrix. The SAEM algorithm was chosen as an efficient alternative to MCMC methods, which are more commonly used in the domain. It was implemented to infer the expected growth patterns in the analyzed population and the expected curves for each variety through a maximum-likelihood and a maximum-a-posteriori approaches, respectively. The obtained estimates can be used to predict the growth curves for each variety. We illustrate the strengths of the proposed approach using simulated data and soybean plant growth data obtained from a soybean cultivation experiment conducted at the Arid Land Research Center, Tottori University. In this experiment, plant height was measured daily using drones, and the growth was monitored for approximately 200 soybean cultivars for which whole-genome sequence data were available. The NLMEM approach improved our understanding of the determinants of soybean growth and can be successfully used for the genomic prediction of growth pattern characteristics.

Absorption and Xylem Transport of 33P-Labeled Phosphorus in Nodulated Soybean Plants

Phosphorus (P) is an essential macro-element for plants, and understanding the characteristics of the absorption and transport of P in crops is essential. The low availability of P restricts the growth, nitrogen fixation, and yield of soybean plants. In this research, the radioisotope 33P was supplied to the culture solution to trace the absorption and transport of P in nodulated soybean plants monitored using an imaging plate. The absorption rate of 33P was almost the same under the light and dark conditions. The absorption rate of 33P in the decapitated roots was near to that of the intact plants under light. These results indicate that the P absorption is not affected by evapotranspiration over a short time period. Conversely, the 33P transport from the roots to the shoot was significantly lower under dark conditions than it was under light conditions, although some 33P reached the top of the shoots under both the light and dark conditions. The transport of P to the shoots depends on the transpiration supplemented by the root pressure. The multiplication value of the 33P concentration in the xylem sap and transpiration rate was almost equivalent to the transport rate of 33P in the intact shoots. This value may be adaptable and used to estimate the transport rate of P for the diagnosis.

Effect of Spraying Ascorbic Acid on Growth and Yield of Soybean Plant Affected by Irrigation Interval

Effect of Spraying Ascorbic Acid on Growth and Yield of Soybean Plant Affected by Irrigation Interval

Bacillus‐based product protects soybean, improves grain yield and produces metabolites able to promote plant growth and antagonize pathogenic fungi

AbstractSoybean is frequently affected by pathogenic fungi, which are usually managed by chemicals. Foliar sprays with biological agents have been introduced as new allies to reduce plant diseases. This study verified foliar sprays of Bacillus subtilis‐based product applied for three consecutive cropping seasons associated or not with chemical fungicides to control Asian rust (Phakopsora pachyrhizi) and the effect of B. subtilis‐produced metabolites against pathogenic fungi and on soybean growth. Field treatments were as follows: (i) Foliar application of B. subtilis‐based product, followed by chemical sprays; (ii) chemical management alone; (iii) B. subtilis‐based product alone, and (iv) control treatment with water sprays. In the three years, B. subtilis‐based product alone or followed by chemicals reduced at least 75% the Asian rust severity, similar to chemical management. Moreover, soybean grain yield increased when B. subtilis‐based product was followed by chemicals. Cell‐free filtrates and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from B. subtilis isolate or from the formulated bioproduct were tested against fungi pathogens Fusarium cf. incarnatum/equiseti and Macrophomina phaseolina. All filtrates and VOCs emission reduced more than 40% the mycelial growth of both fungi. Also, the filtrates stimulated the soybean growth at a rate similar to the bioproduct, indicating the potential of the B. subtilis compounds to control fungi pathogens and promote plant growth. Therefore, the B. subtilis‐based product showed a satisfactory protection and yield increment for soybean and B. subtilis‐produced metabolites antagonized pathogenic fungi and stimulated the soybean plant growth.

Pertumbuhan dan Hasil Kedelai Edamame (Glycine max (L) Merill) Terhadap Pemberian Kombinasi Legin dan Kompos di Media Tailing Pasir Pasca Tambang Timah

Post tin mining land in Bangka Belitung can still be utilized as agricultural land with the application of various soil amandment including the combination of compost and legin. The compost provide organic matter for the soil and legin provide rhizobium to maximize nitrogen fixation in the soil. Post tin mining land improved with compost and legin combination can be used potentially for the development of edamame soybean commodities which are widely known as adaptive plant on suboptimal land. The purpose of this study was to determine the type of compost, legin dose and the best combination of both compost and legin on the growth and the yield of edamame soybeans in sand tailing media. This research had been conducted in February-August 2023 at the Experimental and Research Station, Faculty of Agriculture, Fisheries and Marine, Universitas Bangka Belitung. This study used a field experimental method with a Factorial Randomized Group Design with the first factor was the dose of legin, consists of 3 treatment levels, namely: L0: No treatment (Control), L1: 10 g legin, L2: 12 g legin. The second factor was the type of compost consisting of 3 treatment levels, namely: P1: Cow dung compost, P2: rice husk compost, P3: Commercial compost. There were 9 treatment combinations that were replicated 4 times. Each experimental unit had 6 plants so that 216 plant populations were obtained and 144 plants were obtained as samples. The results showed that the dose of 12 g legin had the highest effect on edamame growth and 10 g legin treatment had the highest effect on edamame yield. Commercial compost treatment had the best effect to edamame growth, while rice husk compost had the best effect to edamame yield. The combination of rice husk compost and 10 g legin was the treatment combination that showed the best growth and yield of edamame soybean plants in sand tailing media of post tin mining. Keywords: Edamame, rice husk, compost, legin, sand tailings

GA3 and BAP phytohormone seed priming enhances germination and PEG induced drought stress tolerance in soybean by triggering the expression of osmolytes, antioxidant enzymes and related genes at the early seedling growth stages

Drought stress strongly affects seed germination and seedling development during the early stages of plant growth in soybean (Glycine max L.). Seed priming with phytohormone (PH) is known to regulate various physiological and biochemical processes that govern plant growth and yield under optimal and stress conditions. In the present study, the effects of seed priming with Gibberellic acid (GA3) (0.28 mM), 6-Benzyl aminopurine (BAP) (20 mM) and Methyl Jasmonate (MJ) (2.5 mM) was studied during germination and at early seedling growth stages in JS-335 (drought sensitive) and MAUS-71 (moderately drought tolerant) soybean varieties under PFG induced drought stress conditions. The seed priming effects were studied in terms of germination percentage and rate (Timson Index), accumulation of osmolytes (proline and glycine betaine), antioxidant enzymes activity (superoxide dismutase (SOD), ascorbate peroxidase (APX) and catalase (CAT)), and the relative expression of genes viz., Cu/Zn-superoxide dismutase copper chaperone (SOD-CCS) , iron-superoxide dismutase (SODB2) , betaine aldehyde dehydrogenase (BADH2) and dehydration-responsive element binding protein (DREB2A). The germination percentage of non-primed soybean seeds decreased under drought stress but significantly increased upon GA3 and BAP priming. Interestingly, seed priming with MJ completely inhibited the germination in both the varieties. GA3 and BAP seed priming increased proline and glycine betaine accumulation under PEG induced drought stress in both the soybean varieties. The results showed that the activities of SOD, APX and CAT were significantly enhanced in the leaves of seedlings raised from GA3 and BAP-primed seeds, as compared to the non-primed seeds under the drought stress conditions. Isozyme profiling of SOD and APX revealed that the GA3 and BAP seed priming treatments enhanced the drought-inducible expression of SOD isozymes rather than inducing novel isoforms. In case of APX isozymes, GA3 seed priming appears to preserve APX isozyme diversity in both varieties, and BAP seed priming elevated the expression of APX isoforms in both soybean varieties under the drought conditions. In response to the drought stress, relative expression of the genes associated with superoxide dismutase and glycine betaine viz., SOD CCS, SODB2, BADH2 and DREB2A was markedly upregulated in the leaves of seedlings raised from the GA3 and BAP primed seeds in both the soybean varieties. The global correlation analysis designated that the osmolyte Proline, antioxidant enzyme APX and CAT, and SOD CCS, SODB2, BADH2 and DREB2A genes were potent regulator for drought stress tolerance mechanism in soybean. This study illuminates the intricate interplay of GA3 and BAP hormonal seed priming during the germination and early seedling stages in soybean plants under the drought stress. This finding emphasizes the critical consideration of genotype specific reactions to the hormonal seed priming under PEG induced drought stress conditions.

Complete genome sequence of Bacillus velezensis strain Ag109, a biocontrol agent against plant-parasitic nematodes and Sclerotinia sclerotiorum

Soybean is the main oilseed cultivated worldwide. Even though Brazil is the world’s largest producer and exporter of soybean, its production is severely limited by biotic factors. Soil borne diseases are the most damaging biotic stressors since they significantly reduce yield and are challenging to manage. In this context, the present study aimed to evaluate the potential of a bacterial strain (Ag109) as a biocontrol agent for different soil pathogens (nematodes and fungi) of soybean. In addition, the genome of Ag109 was wholly sequenced and genes related to secondary metabolite production and plant growth promotion were mined. Ag109 showed nematode control in soybean and controlled 69 and 45% of the populations of Meloidogyne javanica and Pratylenchus brachyurus, respectively. Regarding antifungal activity, these strains showed activity against Macrophomia phaseolina, Rhizoctonia solani, and Sclerotinia sclerotiorum. For S. sclerotiorum, this strain increased the number of healthy plants and root dry mass compared to the control (with inoculation). Based on the average nucleotide identity and digital DNA-DNA hybridization, this strain was identified as Bacillus velezensis. Diverse clusters of specific genes related to secondary metabolite biosynthesis and root growth promotion were identified, highlighting the potential of this strain to be used as a multifunctional microbial inoculant that acts as a biological control agent while promoting plant growth in soybean.