Impact of bio-priming with a PGPR consortium on germination and early seedling growth of a salt-sensitive wheat cultivar (Qods) under salinity stress

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Associate Professor, Soil and Water Research Institute (SWRI), Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Karaj, Iran

2 Researcher, Soil and Water Research Institute (SWRI), Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Karaj, Iran

3 Postdoctoral Researcher, Soil and Water Research Institute (SWRI), Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Karaj, Iran

4 Researcher, National Institute of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (NIGEB), Tehran, Iran

10.22124/jms.2025.9417

Abstract

Soil salinity severely limits the production potential of high-yielding but sensitive wheat cultivars by compromising the critical stages of germination and seedling establishment. This study was conducted to evaluate the protective potential of seed bio-priming with Plant Growth-Promoting Rhizobacteria (PGPR), applied individually and in combination, to improve the germination and early growth of the sensitive wheat cultivar 'Qods' under salt stress. For this purpose, a factorial laboratory experiment was conducted in which wheat seeds were bio-primed with eight bacterial treatments (control, single and combined inoculations of three isolates of Azospirillum, Azotobacter, and Pseudomonas) and then subjected to three salinity levels (0, 6, and 14 dS/m). Key germination indices, morphological traits, and biomass accumulation were evaluated. The results showed that under severe salt stress (14 dS/m), while the growth of the control was severely suppressed, bio-priming with the triple bacterial consortium led to a remarkable improvement. Compared to the stressed control, this treatment increased the seedling vigor index by 32.2%, germination rate by 20.42%, coleoptile, and radicle length by 40.51% and 38.14% respectively, and root dry weight by 26.32%. A noteworthy finding was the unique performance of single inoculation with Pseudomonas in maintaining the highest root-to-shoot dry weight ratio under severe stress. These findings highlight the potential of using microbial consortia as a bio-ameliorant to enhance resistance and ensure crop establishment in salt-affected agricultural ecosystems.

Keywords

References

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Iranian Journal of Seed Sciences and Research
Volume 12, Issue 2
July 2025
Pages 51-68

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