University of Guilan Iranian Journal of Seed Sciences and Research 2476-3780 12 1 2025 03 21 The effect of seed treatment with extracts of the green algae Ulva lactuca and the blue-green algae Nostoc commune on physiological indices of corn seedlings The effect of seed treatment with extracts of the green algae Ulva lactuca and the blue-green algae Nostoc commune on physiological indices of corn seedlings 1 15 8801 10.22124/jms.2025.8801 FA Seyed Mohsen Daryabari MSc of Plant Physiology, Department of Plant Sciences, Faculty of Basic Sciences, University of Mazandaran, Babolsar, Iran Ehsan Nazifi Assistant Professor of Plant Physiology, Department of Plant Sciences, Faculty of Basic Sciences, University of Mazandaran, Babolsar, Iran Bagher Seyedalipour Associate Professor, Department of Cellular and Molecular, Faculty of Basic Sciences, University of Mazandaran, Babolsar, Iran Sedigheh Kelij Assistant Professor, Department of Plant Sciences, Faculty of Basic Sciences, University of Mazandaran, Babolsar, Iran Journal Article 2025 01 18 Algae have been considered as rich sources of bioactive compounds to improve plant growth. The present study was conducted in 2022 with the aim of investigating the effect of treating corn seeds with aqueous extracts of Ulva lactuca and Nostoc commune on growth indices, photosynthetic pigments and phenolic compounds levels of the resulting seedlings. The experiment was conducted in a completely randomized design at six concentration levels of 0, 12.5, 25, 50, 75, and 100% of the extracts. In the treatment with N. commune, the highest hypocotyl height in the treatment with 50% extract concentration with a 30.9% increase, the highest radicle length in the treatment with 75% extract concentration with a 4.01% increase, the highest seedling weight in the treatment with 25% extract concentration with a 31.86% increase, the highest chlorophyll b content in the treatment with 75% extract concentration with a 31.87% increase, and the highest carotenoid content in the treatment with 75% extract concentration with a 33.34% increase were obtained vs. the control. In the treatment with U. lactuca, the highest chlorophyll a content in the treatment with 100% extract concentration with a 64.79% increase, the highest phenol content in the treatment with 75% extract concentration with a 44.83% increase, and the highest flavonoid content in the treatment with 100% extract concentration with a 42.03% increase were obtained vs. the control. The results suggest that the extracts of these algae can be effective as biostimulants and biofertilizers in improving the physiological indices of corn seedlings. Algae have been considered as rich sources of bioactive compounds to improve plant growth. The present study was conducted in 2022 with the aim of investigating the effect of treating corn seeds with aqueous extracts of Ulva lactuca and Nostoc commune on growth indices, photosynthetic pigments and phenolic compounds levels of the resulting seedlings. The experiment was conducted in a completely randomized design at six concentration levels of 0, 12.5, 25, 50, 75, and 100% of the extracts. In the treatment with N. commune, the highest hypocotyl height in the treatment with 50% extract concentration with a 30.9% increase, the highest radicle length in the treatment with 75% extract concentration with a 4.01% increase, the highest seedling weight in the treatment with 25% extract concentration with a 31.86% increase, the highest chlorophyll b content in the treatment with 75% extract concentration with a 31.87% increase, and the highest carotenoid content in the treatment with 75% extract concentration with a 33.34% increase were obtained vs. the control. In the treatment with U. lactuca, the highest chlorophyll a content in the treatment with 100% extract concentration with a 64.79% increase, the highest phenol content in the treatment with 75% extract concentration with a 44.83% increase, and the highest flavonoid content in the treatment with 100% extract concentration with a 42.03% increase were obtained vs. the control. The results suggest that the extracts of these algae can be effective as biostimulants and biofertilizers in improving the physiological indices of corn seedlings.

https://jms.guilan.ac.ir/article_8801_b852f14f5bef1edb5f5d318bc23a4a59.pdf