The Effects of Bio-priming with PGPR on Germination of Radish (Raphanus sativus L.) Seeds under Saline Conditions

Abstract

The present study was conducted to examine the effects of bio-priming with plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) on the germination of radish (Raphanus sativus L.) seeds under different saline (NaCl) conditions. Three radish cultivars ('Antep', 'Beyaz', and 'Siyah') were used as plant material and 5 bacteria strains (Agrobacterium rubi strain A 16, Burkholderia gladii strain BA 7, Pseudomonas putida strain BA 8, Bacillus subtilis strain BA 142, and Bacillus megaterium strain M 3) were applied as priming agent. The effect of bio-priming with PGPR on germination percentage under saline conditions varied with bacteria strains and cultivars. Applications of bio-priming with bacteria strains significantly improved the percentage of seed germination under saline conditions. These results suggested that bio-priming with PGPR under saline conditions could be useful to obtain higher seed germination percentages in radish.