Influence of beneficial bacterial inoculants on cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) germination and early seedling development

Jovana Anđelković, Tatjana Mihajilov Krstev, Nataša Joković, DOI: 10.46793/BiolNyss.17.1.17A

Abstract


Cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) is an important vegetable valued for its edible fruits and antioxidant properties. This study evaluated ten seed inoculation treatments of cucumber with plant growth-promoting (PGP) bacteria, Bacillus subtilis (two strains), Bacillus paralicheniformis, Bacillus safensis, Bacillus pumilus, Bacillus mojavensis, Microbacterium testaceum, Glutamicibacter halophytocola, Pseudomonas putida, and Enterobacter cloacae, on germination and early seedling development. A 7-day germination test assessed germination rate (GR), radicle and plumule length (RL, PL), fresh and dry weight (FW, DW), and vigor index (VI). Data were analyzed by one-way ANOVA and LSD tests. G. halophytocola showed the highest GR (91.7 ± 0.0%), RL (7.6 ± 0.9 cm), FW (127.5 ± 15.9 mg), and VI (867.8 ± 87.1) compared to the control (GR: 69.4 ± 12.7%, RL: 5.8 ± 0.6 cm, FW: 95.2 ± 17.7 mg, VI: 506.1 ± 117.5). These findings indicate the potential to improve cucumber germination and seedling vigor for sustainable agriculture.


Keywords


plant growth-promoting bacteria, cucumber, germination assay, sustainable agriculture

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