Growth Of Wheat Seedlings Research Articles

TaTAR2s and SAUR36 Genes Play a Role in Improving the Growth of Wheat Seedlings by Rhizobacteria

TaTAR2s and SAUR36 Genes Play a Role in Improving the Growth of Wheat Seedlings by Rhizobacteria

Degradation of sulfamethoxazole in a falling film dielectric barrier discharge system: Performance, mechanism and toxicity evaluation

The ubiquitous presence of sulfonamides (SAs) in wastewater poses serious risks to human health and ecosystem safety. This study evaluated the performance of a falling film dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) system on the removal of five SAs, namely sulfamethoxazole (SMX), sulfisoxazole (SIZ), sulfathiazole (STZ), sulfadiazine (SDZ) and sulfamerazine (SMR). Removal efficiencies >99 % were observed for all target SAs within 30 min of treatment, with pseudo-first order rate constants varying between 0.17 and 0.27 min−1. Superior removal efficiencies were achieved under acidic conditions compared to neutral and alkaline conditions. Using SMX as a model compound, mechanistic investigations revealed that the synergy of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reactive nitrogen species (RNS) led to its efficient degradation, with peroxynitrites (ONOO−/ONOOH) and hydroxyl radical (OH) playing pivotal roles. SMX degradation pathways encompassing nitration/nitrosation, hydroxylation, deamination, CS and SN bond cleavage were proposed. The toxicity evaluation results demonstrated that the solution toxicity diminished following the plasma treatment under specific conditions. In particular, the solution treated with air or oxygen discharge enhanced the growth of wheat seedlings, suggesting the potential for reusing plasma-treated wastewater in agriculture. This study enhances our understanding of the underlying mechanisms involved in the plasma degradation of SAs and reveals the significant potential of plasma technology as a sustainable approach for treating wastewater.

Exogenous Application of Chitosan Mitigates the Inhibitory Effects of Zinc on the Growth of Wheat Seedlings by Modulating Zn Transport and ROS Scavenging

Exogenous Application of Chitosan Mitigates the Inhibitory Effects of Zinc on the Growth of Wheat Seedlings by Modulating Zn Transport and ROS Scavenging

Allelochemicals Released from Rice Straw Inhibit Wheat Seed Germination and Seedling Growth

Recently, returning rice straw to soil has become a common problem in wheat production because it causes decreased wheat seedling emergence. Allelopathy is an important factor affecting seed germination. However, the effects of rice straw extracts on wheat seed germination and seedling growth remain unclear. Wheat seeds and seedlings were treated with 30 g L−1 of rice leaf extracts (L1), 60 g L−1 of rice leaf extracts (L2), 30 g L−1 of rice stem extracts (S1), 60 g L−1 of rice stem extracts (S2) and sterile water (CK) to study the allelopathic effects of rice straw extracts on wheat seed germination and seedling growth. The α-amylase and antioxidant enzyme activities in wheat seeds; the agronomic traits, photosynthetic indicators, and nutrient contents of wheat seedlings; and the phenolic acids in rice stem extracts were determined. Common allelochemicals, including 4-hydroxybenzoic acid, hydrocinnamic acid, trans-cinnamic acid, vanillic acid, benzoic acid, protocatechualdehyde, caffeic acid, syringic acid, sinapic acid, and salicylic acid, were detected in rice stem extracts. Low-concentration rice leaf and stem extracts (30 g L−1) had no effect on the germination rate of wheat seeds. High-concentration (60 g L−1) rice stem and leaf extracts decreased the seed germination rate by 11.00% and 12.02%. Rice stem extract (60 g L−1) decreased the α-amylase activity, and gibberellin content of wheat seeds but increased superoxide dismutase, peroxidase, and catalase activities and malondialdehyde content in wheat seeds. Allelochemicals entered the internal tissues of wheat seeds, where they decreased the gibberellin content and α-amylase activity and increased the antioxidant enzyme activity, ultimately leading to an inhibitory effect on seed germination. Rice stem and leaf extracts decreased the SPAD value and photosynthetic indicators of wheat seedlings. Rice stem extract (60 g L−1) decreased the fresh weight and root length of wheat seedlings by 31.37% and 45.46%. Low-concentration rice leaf and stem extract (30 g L−1) had no effect on the nutrient contents of wheat seedlings. Rice leaf and stem extracts (60 g L−1) decreased the nitrogen and potassium contents of wheat seedlings. These results indicated that low-concentration rice leaf and stem extract (30 g L−1) had no effect on wheat seed germination and the high-concentration rice stem extract (60 g L−1) released allelochemicals and inhibited wheat seed germination and seedling growth. These findings provide a basis for the improvement of straw return techniques.

Carbohydrate-Derived Superhydrophilic Carbon Aerogels and Their Effects on Seedling Growth of Triticum aestivum.

Synthesis methods of carbon nanomaterials have been developed vigorously in recent years, among which a simple, green, and mature approach is of more research significance. Carbon nanomaterials have depicted an impact on the growth and development of plants. In this study, a new type of carbon nanomaterial, superhydrophilic carbon aerogel (CA), was synthesized via a hydrothermal process using carbohydrates and water-soluble polymers as raw materials. Characterized by scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, powder X-ray diffraction, and N2 adsorption analysis, the exemplified CA presented to have porous three-dimensional network structure composed of individual particles with diameters of 25 nm, with reactive surface, single composition, high specific surface area (89.94 m2·g-1), and wide range of density variation. The 9 mg·mL-1 CA suspension had a significant positive effect on the root growth of wheat seedlings, with promoted root elongation (about 67.17% longer) and root diameter (about 28.95% thicker) compared with those of the control group. The cytological results suggested that CA treatment triggered the propagation of meristematic cells, and the increased number of meristematic cells (65.79% more than the control group) led to enhanced root growth by upregulated expression of related phytohormone genes in wheat seedlings.

The Efficiency of Seed Priming with Dead Sea Water for Improving Germination and Early Seedling Growth of Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) under Salinity

<p>Salinity is considered the most critical environmental factor which negatively affects the germination and growth of plants. In this study, the potential of using Dead Sea water (DS) as a seed priming agent for the mitigation of the adverse effects of salinity on seed germination and growth performance of wheat (<em>Triticum aestivum</em> L.) was investigated. Germination of wheat seeds primed with different doses of DS; 0%, 5%, 10%, 15%, and 20% were evaluated under different saline conditions (0, 100, 200, and 300 mM NaCl). High salinity (300 mM NaCl) remarkably inhibited germination attributes and reduced seedling length. However, seeds primed with DS exhibited improved germination parameters and seedling growth. Among the different DS concentrations used, the 10% DS priming achieved the highest increase in final germination percentage tolerance, germination index, relative germination salt tolerance, and seedling length. The increased tolerance to salinity was associated with improved water imbibition, α-amylase activity, antioxidant capacity and osmotic homeostasis correlated with high proline and soluble sugar levels. In addition, DS priming increased the membrane stability index, and reduced malondialdehyde content and K<sup>+</sup> leakage besides lowering Na<sup>+</sup>/K<sup>+</sup> ratio. Overall, priming with DS could be a promising strategy for minimizing the damaging effects of salinity in wheat.</p>

Nondestructive detection of saline-alkali stress in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) seedlings via fusion technology

BackgroundWheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is an important grain crops in the world, and its growth and development in different stages is seriously affected by saline-alkali stress, especially in seedling stage. Therefore, nondestructive detection of wheat seedlings under saline-alkali stress can provide more comprehensive technical support for wheat breeding, cultivation and management.ResultsThis research focused on moisture signal prediction and classification of saline-alkali stress in wheat seedlings using fusion techniques. After collecting and analyzing transverse relaxation time and Multispectral imaging (MSI) information of wheat seedlings, four regression models were used to predict the moisture signal. K-Nearest Neighbor (KNN) and Gaussian-Naïve Bayes (GNB) models were combined with fivefold cross validation to classify the prediction of wheat seedling stress. The results showed that wheat seedlings would increase the bound water content through a certain mechanism to enhance their saline-alkali stress. Under the same Na concentration, the effect of alkali stress on moisture, growth and spectrum of wheat seedlings is stronger than salt stress. The Gradient Boosting Decision Regression Tree model performs the best in predicting wheat moisture signals, with a coefficient of determination (R2P) of 0.98 and a root mean square error of 109.60. It also had a short training time (1.48 s) and an efficient prediction speed (1300 obs/s). The KNN and GNB demonstrated significantly enhanced predictive performance when classifying the fused dataset, compared to using single datasets individually. In particular, the GNB model performing best on the fused dataset, with Precision, Recall, Accuracy, and F1-score of 90.30, 88.89%, 88.90%, and 0.90, respectively.ConclusionsUnder the same Na concentration, the effects of alkali stress on water content, spectrum, and growth of wheat were stronger than that of salt stress, which was more unfavorable to the growth of wheat. The fusion of low-field nuclear magnetic resonance and MSI technology can improve the classification of wheat stress, and provide an effective technical method for rapid and accurate monitoring of wheat seedlings under saline-alkali stress.Graphical

Reclaiming selenium from water using aluminum-modified biochar: Adsorption behaviors, mechanisms, and effects on growth of wheat seedlings

Although selenium is an essential nutrient, its contamination in water poses serious risks to human health and ecosystems. In this study, aluminum-modified bamboo biochar (Al-BC) was developed to reclaim Se(VI) from water. Compared to pristine biochar (BC), Al-BC had a larger specific surface area (176 m2/g) and pore volume (0.180 cm³/g). The modification, achieved by loading AlOOH and Al2O3 particles onto the surface, enabled Al-BC to achieve a maximum adsorption capacity of 37.6 mg/g for Se(VI) within 2 h and remove 99.6% of Se(VI) across a pH range of 3–10. The main adsorption mechanism of Se(VI) involved electrostatic attraction, forming outer-sphere complexes between Se(VI) and AlOOH sites on the biochar. The bioavailability of Se sorbed on the spent biochar (Al-BC-Se) was thus evaluated. It was discovered that Al-BC-Se successfully released Se(VI), which impacted the growth of wheat seedlings. The Se content reached 134 μg/g dry weight (DW) in wheat shoots and 638 μg/g DW in roots, significantly exceeding normal selenium content (<40 μg/g DW). By successfully applying the modified biochar to capture selenium from water through adsorption and then reusing it as an essential nutrient in soil, this study suggests the promising feasibility of the "removal-collection-reuse" approach for the circular economy of selenium in wastewater.

The Impact of Lighting Treatments on the Biosynthesis of Phenolic Acids in Black Wheat Seedlings.

Light, as a crucial environmental determinant, profoundly influences the synthesis of secondary metabolites in plant metabolism. This study investigated the impacts of the red light combined with ultraviolet-A (UV-A) and ultraviolet-B (UV-B) treatments on phenolic acid biosynthesis in black wheat seedlings. The results demonstrate that the red light combined with UV-A and UV-B treatments significantly enhanced the levels of phenolic acids in black wheat seedlings, at 220.4 μg/seedling and 241.5 μg/seedling, respectively. The content of bound phenolic acids in black wheat seedlings increased by 36.0% under the UV-B treatment. The application of the UV-A/UV-B treatments markedly enhanced the activities of phenylalanine ammonia-lyase, 4-coumarate CoA ligase, and cinnamate 4-hydroxylase in black wheat seedlings while also promoting the expression levels of genes related to phenolic acid synthesis. The expression levels of fructose-1,6-bisphosphate aldolase and NADP-malic enzyme related to photosynthesis were significantly upregulated. This resulted in an augmentation in the chlorophyll content, thereby enhancing photosynthesis in black wheat seedlings. Nevertheless, the UV-A and UV-B treatments also had a significant constraining effect on the growth and development of black wheat seedlings. In addition, the UV-A and UV-B treatments increased the activity and gene expression levels of antioxidant enzymes while significantly increasing the contents of total flavonoids and anthocyanins, activating the antioxidant system. The findings reveal that light-source radiation serves as an effective method for promoting the biosynthesis of phenolic acids in black wheat seedlings.

A biodegradable multifunctional pectin–montmorillonite fertilizer coating: Controlled-release, water-retention and soil-cementation

Coated fertilizers have been widely used to improve fertility in barren land. However, improving soil structure and water-retention capacity is also essential for arid and semi-arid areas with sandy soils to promote crop growth. Most currently available coated fertilizers rarely meet these requirements, limiting their application scope. Therefore, this study “tailored” pectin–montmorillonite (PM) multifunctional coatings for arid areas, featuring intercalation reactions and nanoscale entanglement between pectin and montmorillonite via hydrogen bonding and electrostatic and van der Waals forces. Notably, PM coatings have demonstrated an effective “relay” model of action. First, the PM-50 coating could act as a “shield” to protect urea pills, increasing the mechanical strength (82.12 %). Second, this coating prolonged the release longevity of urea (<0.5 h to 15 days). Further, the remaining coating performed a water-retention function. Subsequently, the degraded coating improved the soil properties. Thus, this coating facilitated the growth of wheat seedlings in a simulated arid environment. Moreover, the cytotoxicity test, life cycle assessment, and soil biodegradation experiment showed that the PM coating exhibited minimal environmental impact. Overall, the “relay” model of PM coating overcomes the application limitations of traditional coated fertilizers and provides a sustainable strategy for developing coating materials in soil degradation areas.

Dose-dependent Effects of Azospirilla Lectin on the Growth of wheat Seedlings under Salt Stress

Dose-dependent Effects of Azospirilla Lectin on the Growth of wheat Seedlings under Salt Stress

Analysis of short-term treatment effects of dielectric barrier discharge plasma to improve germination characteristics of wheat seeds

In this work, an effort has been made to show that a cold atmospheric pressure plasma (CAPP) can be applied to promote the growth and development of wheat seedlings. A dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma-based reactor has been developed having two-roller conveyor rollers running on sprockets to generate cold plasma. Wheat seeds (Triticum aestivum) are treated with cold plasma for shorter durations to examine their germination parameters. In the cold plasma, reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (RONS) are generated which alter the surface of the seeds. This results in enhanced germination, growth, and enduring vitality of the plants enhance seed germination. After plasma treatment, the germination rate was enhanced from 84% to 98%. Also, after treatment surfaces of wheat seeds became more hydrophilic, as confirmed by a decrease in the water contact angle which results in higher seed germination. It is inferred that plasma is a viable alternative to the conventional pre-sowing seed treatment for germination due to its uniform treatment without degradation and the use of pesticides.

Effect of Aqueous Extract of Ageratum Houstonianum on Seed Germination and Seedling Growth of Triticum Aestivum (Wheat)

Invasive plants are species that do not belong in a particular habitat but enter and establish themselves there. They are known for their adaptability and competitiveness in different environmental conditions. They tend to compete with crops for crucial resources, including water, light, and nutrients and can hinder crop growth and development through allelopathy. The aim of the current research was to investigate the allelopathic effect of aqueous extracts of Ageratum houstonianum on the germination and growth of wheat (Triticum aestivum) seedlings. The aqueous extracts were obtained from the leaves of A. houstonianum at various concentrations, including control, 25%, 50%, and 100%, and applied to pot and petri-plates cultures. The experiment was set up with 5 replicates for both the Petri plates and pot cultures. The study results showed that A. houstonianum aqueous leaf extracts had a significant impact on the germination and growth of T.aestivum. The concentrated (100%) aqueous leaf extracts of A. houstonianum significantly hindered the germination of seeds and growth parameters of T. aestivum. Additionally, the extract treatments of the weed species resulted in changes in soil pH and soil fertility. When invasive weed species grow alongside crops in fields, they may consume a significant number of resources required for crop growth, leading to a decrease in both the quantity and quality of agricultural output. Hence, this study highlights the potential adverse effects of invasive weeds on crop growth and development, and how they can negatively impact agricultural productivity. Therefore, there is a need for effective management strategies to control the spread of invasive weed species and preserve the productivity of agricultural land.

Enhancement of wheat growth by plant growth-stimulating bacteria during phytopathogenic inhibition

Triticum spp. is grown widely all over the world, and numerous fungal diseases have a significant impact on the crop yield. Fusarium graminearum and Bipolaris sorokiniana are the most prevalent pathogens affecting wheat. In this study, the growth-stimulating bacteria in wheat are identified and their efficacy is examined in stimulating the growth of wheat seedlings under phytopathogenic conditions. In the course of the present investigation, four microorganisms that are resistant to the metabolites Fusarium graminearum and Bipolaris sorokiniana were isolated from wheat seeds. These strains were evaluated based on plant growth stimulation indicators, including the production of indole-3-acetic acid (0.4–3.3 mg × mL−1), gibberellic acid (116.9–431.5 μg × mL−1), siderophores (10.2–31.5%), phosphate solubilization (1.7–3.5), zinc solubilization (1.8–3.7), potassium solubilization (1.3–3.0) nitrogen fixation (250.0–840.0 μg × mL−1). In a laboratory experiment, two promising growth-stimulating bacteria that enhance the germination and development of wheat seeds under conditions of phytopathogenic stress were identified. When treated with the microorganisms, wheat seeds show a higher rate of germination, and a significant increase in root length was observed in the seedlings. A field test indicated that the presence of strains of Pantoea ananatis and Bacillus subtilis exerts a favorable effect on the wheat yield.

Investigating the Efficacy of Dry Region Zinc Solubilizing Bacteria for Growth Promotion of Maize and Wheat under Axenic Conditions

Zinc (Zn) plays a crucial role as a micronutrient, essential for the growth, development, and proper functioning of plants. Pakistani soils are deficient of micronutrient especially zinc. Supplementation of Zn fertilizers cannot do the job because only a small fraction of Zn is available to plants and rest is fixed in soil. To enhance the Zn availability different methods are being used which are expensive. Zinc solubilizing bacteria (ZSB) can be a potential candidate for solubilization of Zn and growth promoting activities in cereals. The present study aimed to evaluate the potential of dry region bacterial strains of Bahawalpur for improving Zn uptake and growth improvement in wheat and maize. Rhizosphere samples of wheat and maize were taken from the dry regions of Bahawalpur and bacterial strains were isolated and tested for their Zn solubilizing ability and screened for urease, siderophore activity, exopolysaccharide production, phosphorus solubilization and plant growth promoting abilities. Under axenic conditions selected isolates were further screened to assessed for improving the growth of wheat and maize seedlings. The rhizobacterial isolates IUB-34, IUB-80, IUB-93 and IUB-96 performed best to improve growth, physiology, biochemical attributes and root colonization. The maximum increase in root and shoot lengths were recorded 32.2 and 35.7% in wheat under IUB-34 application and in maize 43.8 and 39.9%, respectively, under IUB-96 application as compared to uninoculated control. Furthermore, maximum root colonization was also recorded under IUB-34 in wheat and IUB-96 in maize seedlings. Moreover, the biochemical characterization of selected isolates showed IAA (Auxins) production, protease, catalase, cellulose degradation, HCN and ACC-deaminase activities by these strains. However, only IUB-34 and IUB-96 were found positive for oxidase activity. Therefore, study concluded that use of dry region ZSB can solubilize Zn and make it available for plant to improve growth of wheat and maize. So, these isolates may be utilized for coating urea as a biofertilizer to increase the biofortification in cereals.

Effects of nitrogen forms on Cd uptake and tolerance in wheat seedlings

Hydroponic experiment was conducted to explore the effects of two nitrogen (N) levels with five nitrate nitrogen (NO3−-N) and ammonium nitrogen (NH4+-N) ratios on the growth status and Cd migration patterns of wheat seedlings under Cd5 and Cd30 level. Results showed that higher Cd were detrimental to the growth, absorption of K and Ca, expression of genes mediating NO3−-N and NH4+-N transport, which also increased the content of malondialdehyde (MDA) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) in shoots and roots of wheat seedlings. Higher N treatment alleviated the inhibitory effects of Cd stress on the biomass, root development, photosynthesis and increased the tolerance index of wheat seedlings. The ratio of NO3−-N and NH4+-N was the main factor driving Cd accumulation in wheat seedlings, the combined application of NH4+-N and NO3−-N was more conducive for the growth, nitrogen assimilation and Cd tolerance to the Cd stressed wheat seedlings. Increased NO3−-N application rates significantly up-regulated the expression levels of TaNPF2.12, TaNRT2.2, increased NH4+-N application rates significantly up-regulated the expression levels of TaAMT1.1. The high proportion of NO3−-N promoted the absorption of K, Ca and Cd in the shoots and roots of wheat seedlings, while NH4+-N was the opposite. Under low Cd conditions, the NO3−-N to NH4+-N ratio of 1:1 was more conducive to the growth of wheat seedlings, under high Cd stress, the optimal of NO3−-N to NH4+-N was 1:2 for inhibiting the accumulation of Cd in wheat seedlings. The results indicated that increasing NH4+-N ratio appropriately could inhibit wheat Cd uptake by increasing NH4+, K+ and Ca2+ for K and Ca channels, and promote wheat growth by promoting N assimilation process.

Enhanced wheat productivity in saline soil through the combined application of poultry manure and beneficial microbes

BackgroundSoil salinity is one of the major menaces to food security, particularly in dealing with the food demand of the ever-increasing global population. Production of cereal crops such as wheat is severely affected by soil salinity and improper fertilization. The present study aimed to examine the effect of selected microbes and poultry manure (PM) on seedling emergence, physiology, nutrient uptake, and growth of wheat in saline soil. A pot experiment was carried out in research area of Institute of Soil and Environmental Sciences, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan. Saline soil (12 dS m− 1 w/w) was developed by spiking using sodium chloride, and used in experiment along with two microbial strains (i.e., Alcaligenes faecalis MH-2 and Achromobacter denitrificans MH-6) and PM. Finally, wheat seeds (variety Akbar-2019) were sown in amended and unamended soil, and pots were placed following a completely randomized design. The wheat crop was harvested after 140 days of sowing.ResultsThe results showed a 10–39% increase (compared to non-saline control) in agronomic, physiological, and nutritive attributes of wheat plants when augmented with PM and microbes. Microbes together with PM significantly enhanced seedling emergence (up to 38%), agronomic (up to 36%), and physiological (up to 33%) in saline soil as compared to their respective unamended control. Moreover, the co-use of microbes and PM also improved soil’s physicochemical attributes and enhanced N (i.e., 21.7%-17.1%), P (i.e., 24.1-29.3%), and K (i.e., 28.7%-25.3%) availability to the plant (roots and shoots, respectively). Similarly, the co-use of amendments also lowered the Na+ contents in soil (i.e., up to 62%) as compared to unamended saline control. This is the first study reporting the effects of the co-addition of newly identified salt-tolerant bacterial strains and PM on seedling emergence, physiology, nutrient uptake, and growth of wheat in highly saline soil.ConclusionOur findings suggest that co-using a multi-trait bacterial culture and PM could be an appropriate option for sustainable crop production in salt-affected soil.

Azolla filiculoides extract improved salt tolerance in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is associated with prompting osmostasis, antioxidant potential and stress-interrelated genes

The growth and productivity of crop plants are negatively affected by salinity-induced ionic and oxidative stresses. This study aimed to provide insight into the interaction of NaCl-induced salinity with Azolla aqueous extract (AAE) regarding growth, antioxidant balance, and stress-responsive genes expression in wheat seedlings. In a pot experiment, wheat kernels were primed for 21 h with either deionized water or 0.1% AAE. Water-primed seedlings received either tap water, 250 mM NaCl, AAE spray, or AAE spray + NaCl. The AAE-primed seedlings received either tap water or 250 mM NaCl. Salinity lowered growth rate, chlorophyll level, and protein and amino acids pool. However, carotenoids, stress indicators (EL, MDA, and H2O2), osmomodulators (sugars, and proline), antioxidant enzymes (CAT, POD, APX, and PPO), and the expression of some stress-responsive genes (POD, PPO and PAL, PCS, and TLP) were significantly increased. However, administering AAE contributed to increased growth, balanced leaf pigments and assimilation efficacy, diminished stress indicators, rebalanced osmomodulators and antioxidant enzymes, and down-regulation of stress-induced genes in NaCl-stressed plants, with priming surpassing spray in most cases. In conclusion, AAE can be used as a green approach for sustaining regular growth and metabolism and remodelling the physio-chemical status of wheat seedlings thriving in salt-affected soils.

Screening of Endophytic Antagonistic Bacteria in Wheat and Evaluation of Biocontrol Potential against Wheat Stripe Rust.

Wheat stripe rust is globally one of the most important diseases affecting wheat. There is an urgent need to develop environmentally safe and durable biological control options to supplement the control that is achieved with breeding and fungicides. In this study, endophytic bacteria were isolated from healthy wheat through the tissue separation method. Antagonistic endophytic bacteria were screened based on the control effect of urediniospore germination and wheat stripe rust (WSR). The taxonomic status of antagonistic strains was determined based on morphological, physiological, and biochemical characteristics and molecular biological identification (16S rDNA and gyrB gene sequence analysis). Finally, the potential growth-promoting effect of different concentrations of antagonists on wheat seedlings and the biological control effect of WSR were studied. A total of 136 strains of endophytic bacteria belonging to 38 genera were isolated. Pseudomonas was the most common bacterial genus, with 29 isolates (21%). The biological control effect of different isolates was assessed using an urediniospore germination assay. The isolate XD29-G1 of Paenibacillus polymyxa had the best performance, with 85% inhibition of spore germination during primary screening. In the deep screening, the control effect of XD29-G1 on wheat stripe rust was 60%. The antagonist XD29-G1 promoted the germination of wheat seeds and the growth of wheat seedlings at a solution dilution of 10-7 cfu/mL. The pot experiment results showed that different dilution concentrations of the strain had different levels of antibacterial activity against WSR, with the concentration of 10-1 cfu/mL having the best control effect and a control efficiency of 61.19%. XD29-G1 has better biological control potential against wheat stripe rust.

Novel cereal bran based low-cost liquid medium for enhanced growth, multifunctional traits and shelf life of consortium biofertilizer containing Azotobacter chroococcum, Bacillus subtilis and Pseudomonas sp.

The present study was carried out to valorise cereal (rice and wheat) bran for the development of low-cost liquid consortium bioformulation. Different concentrations of bran-based liquid media formulations were evaluated for the growth of consortium biofertilizer cultures (Azotobacter chroococcum, Bacillus subtilis and Pseudomonas sp.). Among the bran-based formulations, wheat bran-based formulation WB5, exhibited the highest viable cell of 10.68 ± 0.09 Log10 CFU/ml and 12.63 ± 0.04 Log10 CFU/ml for Azotobacter chroococcum and Bacillus subtilis whereas for Pseudomonas sp., rice bran based bioformulation RB5 recorded maximum viability (12.71 ± 0.05 Log10 CFU/ml) after 72 h of incubation. RB51RB1: 1:10 (Rice bran: distilled water)RB2: 1:10 (Rice bran: distilled water)RB3: 1:10 (Rice bran: distilled water)RB4: 1:10 (Rice bran: distilled water)RB5: 5:10 (Rice bran: distilled water)1 and WB52WB1: 1:10 (wheat bran: distilled water)WB2: 2:10 (wheat bran: distilled water)WB3: 3:10 (wheat bran: distilled water)WB4: 4:10 (wheat bran: distilled water)WB5: 5:10 (wheat bran: distilled water)2liquid formulations were further optimized for enhanced shelf life using 5, 10 and 15 mM of trehalose, 0.05 and 0.1% carboxymethyl cellulose, and 0.5 and 1.0% glycerol. Following the peak growth at 72 h of incubation, a gradual decrease in the viable population of consortium biofertilizer cultures was observed in all the liquid formulations. The WB5 and RB5 formulations with 15 mM trehalose and 0.1% CMC, not only recorded significantly highest cell count of consortium biofertilizer cultures, but also maximally supported multi-functional traits i.e., phosphate and zinc solubilization, ammonia and IAA production up to 150 days. Further evaluation of seedling emergence and growth of wheat (PBW 826) under axenic conditions recorded WB5 amended with 15 mM trehalose-based consortium bioformulation to exhibit maximum emergence and growth of wheat seedlings. This low-cost liquid formulation can be used for large-scale biofertilizer production as a cost-effective liquid biofertilizer production technology.