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Open access Aug 2026

Greenhouse and field evaluation of bacterial endophytes from Cannabis sativa and Chelidonium majus reveals beneficial stage-dependent growth and yield responses in common bean

Bacterial endophytes are increasingly recognized for their ability to enhance plant growth and productivity through multiple physiological and biochemical mechanisms. However, how these responses are coordinated across plant developmental stages and translate into final crop performance remains unclear. This study evaluated previously characterized bacterial endophytes belonging to Bacillus subtilis (BS-114, BS-120) and Pseudomonas wadenswilerensis (PPW-26) as plant growth-promoting agents in yellow bean under in vitro , greenhouse, and field conditions. Bacterial treatments enhanced early developmental responses relative to the non-inoculated control (NC), with BS-114 increasing germination (+19.1%) and seedling total root length (+71.3%), while PPW-26 increased root biomass (+61.7%). Under greenhouse conditions, BS-114 improved reproductive development, increasing bud count (+47.4%), immature pod count (+60.2%), and pod fresh mass (+42.1%). Cell-free extracts reproduced several of these beneficial effects, with the BS-114 cell-free extract (BS-114E) producing the highest cumulative pod fresh mass (+94.2%), suggesting the contribution of extracellular components to reproductive performance. Physiological and gene-expression analyses further indicated that treatment responses were not attributable to a single pathway. Among the measured gas-exchange parameters, photosynthetic rate increased (+175.8%) and stomatal conductance increased (+306.9%). Gene expression analyses showed treatment-specific upregulation of selected genes, with N-fixation-related expression ( nifH ) reaching +5.62 log 2 FC (49.31×) with the BS-114 live-cell treatment (BS-114L), while hormone-related responses were characterized by coordinated upregulation of auxin signaling-related expression +5.24 log 2 FC (37.89×) and cytokinin-related expression patterns consistent with increased biosynthesis and reduced degradation. Field validation showed that all treatments increased yield relative to NC, with the BS-114+BS-120 consortium achieving a +32.65% increase, which was comparable to NPK (+37.76%), despite limited shifts in soil microbial diversity and moderate variation in soil nutrients. Together, these findings indicate that the evaluated bacterial treatments improved plant performance through coordinated responses across multiple biological levels and plant developmental stages, supporting their application as plant growth-promoting agents under controlled and field conditions.

M. Kaddoura, Laura Amaya-Quiroz, J. Samsatly et al. · 1 citation
Open access Aug 2026

Plant defense activator-mediated seed priming suppresses leaf rust (Puccinia triticina) and enhances yield in bread wheat genotypes

Puccinia triticina causing leaf rust is a significant pathogen of wheat because it negatively affects the canopy functioning, grain filling, and final yield. This research investigated the impact of seed priming on leaf rust severity, growth and yield of three bread wheat varieties Arooj-22, Dilkash-20 and MH-21. For this experiment, a completely randomized factorial design was used with three replications, including hormonal (jasmonic acid, salicylic acid, gibberellic acid), nutritional (KNO₃), botanical (moringa leaf extract), and biological (Trichoderma sp.) priming treatments. Disease severity and agronomic traits were significantly influenced by seed priming, with treatment and varietal differences in response. Arooj-22 was lowest in severity with GA 25 ppm and Dilkash-20 with Trichoderma 50 %, but the highest severity was in diseased control, especially in MH-21. Arooj-22 had the greatest yield of plants in Trichoderma 50 % and KNO3 0.5 % had the best yield response uniformly in all three varieties. Correlation analysis demonstrated that 1000 grains weight, leaf area and plant yield had a negative relationship with disease severity, but multivariate analysis differentiated between favorable lower dose treatments and weaker higher dose treatments. In general, the results indicate that seed priming has the potential to lessen the severity of leaf rust and significantly enhance the productivity of wheat, although its effectiveness requires attention to the choice of the primer, dose, and host genotype in the field pot condition.

Unknown authors · 0 citations
Open access Sep 2026

Effect of Seed Priming Treatments on Germination and Growth of Okra (Abelmoschus esculentus L. Moench)

The present investigation was conducted to evaluate the effects of different seed priming agents and durations on germination, seedling vigour, and growth of okra (Abelmoschus esculentus L. Moench). The experiment was carried out in 2022 at the Horticulture Farm, S.K.N. College of Agriculture, Jobner, Rajasthan, using a randomised block design with three replications. Thirteen treatments comprising an unprimed control and seed priming with distilled water, NaCl (2%), PEG (5%), and GA₃ (200 ppm) for 6, 12, and 24 h were evaluated under laboratory and field conditions. Seed priming significantly enhanced germination, seedling vigour, and vegetative growth compared with the unprimed control. Among all treatments, GA₃ at 200 ppm for 24 h (T₁₂) recorded the highest germination percentage (91.20%), seedling length (40.06 cm), vigour index-I (3654), fresh weight (1.13 g), dry weight (0.33 g), and vigour index-II (30.10). Under field conditions, the same treatment produced the maximum plant height at 45 DAS (94.45 cm) and at first pod harvest (166.01 cm), the highest number of branches per plant (2.20 and 4.94, respectively), and the largest leaf area (371.10 cm²). Although PEG 5% for 24 h (T₉) and GA₃ at 200 ppm for 12 h (T₁₁) exhibited performance comparable to T₁₂ for several traits, T₁₂ consistently recorded the highest values. The enhanced performance is attributed to improved metabolic activation, reserve mobilisation, and early seedling establishment induced by priming.

Unknown authors · 0 citations
Open access Sep 2026

Biochar Rates and Bio-Nematicide Effects on Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) Growth, Yield and Root-Knot Nematodes (Meloidogyne spp.) Suppression in Northern Ghana

Root-knot nematodes (Meloidogyne spp.) are among the most destructive pests limiting tomato production, particularly in tropical regions. Two experiments (pot and field trials) were conducted at the University for Development Studies, Nyankpala, Ghana, to evaluate the effects of different biochar amendment rates on the efficacy of a peptide-based bionematicide (Nemanol) in suppressing root-knot nematodes and improving tomato yield. The pot experiment comprised five (5) treatments; 0, 1, 3, and 5% biochar (w/w), applied with or without 5mL of peptide solution. Treatments were arranged in a completely randomized design with four (4) replications. The field experiment evaluated biochar application rates of 0, 2, 4, and 6 t/ha combined with 20 mL of peptide solution per plant, using a randomized complete block design with three (3) replications. In both experiments, treatments significantly (p<0.05) affected most measured growth, yield and nematode infestation indices. Low biochar application rates (1–3% in the pot experiment and 2 t/ha in the field experiment) significantly enhanced plant growth, canopy spread, flowering, and fruit yield compared with the control and higher biochar rates (5% in pots and 6 t/ha in the field). The combined application of 1% biochar and peptide increased plant height by 28.9%, while 2 t/ha biochar combined with peptide reduced root galling severity by 58.3% relative to untreated soil. Biochar amendment also reduced soil pH to a range more favourable for tomato growth. Overall, the combination application of moderate biochar rates and a peptide-based bionematicide effectively suppressed root-knot nematode populations and improved tomato growth and yield. These findings suggest that applying 2 t/ha of rice husk biochar together with 20mL per plant of peptide-based bionematicide can be recommended as an effective management strategy for root-knot nematodes control in tomato production in the study area.

Unknown authors · 0 citations
Jul 2026

Plant Growth Regulators for Improved Fruit Quality and Profitability of Capsicum (Capsicum annuum L.) under Naturally Ventilated Polyhouse

The present investigation was conducted during the kharif seasons of 2024 and 2025 under a naturally ventilated polyhouse at the Vegetable Research Farm, CSKHPKV, Palampur, to evaluate the influence of plant growth regulators on capsicum productivity and economics. The experiment was laid out in a Randomised Block Design with three replications, comprising 13 treatments involving foliar application of GA₃ and NAA at 50 and 75 ppm during different crop growth stages. The results revealed that NAA @ 75 ppm applied as four sprays at vegetative stage, flower initiation, and 30 and 60 days after flower initiation significantly improved pericarp thickness (5.94 mm), total soluble solids (6.9˚B), ascorbic acid content (126.17 mg/100g) and titratable acidity (0.206%) whereas, GA₃ applied @ 75 ppm with four sprays at the same stages recorded highest yield (22.81 q/250m2) and its attributes, making it the most economically rewarding treatment for commercial cultivation of capsicum variety ‘Indra’ under naturally ventilated polyhouse conditions of mid hills of Himachal Pradesh.

Shiwani Gupta, Neha Sharma, Sarthak Naik et al. · 0 citations
Open access Aug 2026

Germination and Growth Responses of Trifoliate Orange (Poncirus trifoliata L.) Seeds to Glycerol-Chitosan-Based Biostimulant Treatments

Trifoliate orange (Poncirus trifoliata L.), a citrus rootstock valued for its cold hardiness and resistance to broad biotic stress, produces desiccation-sensitive seeds whose successful germination requires optimized pre-sowing treatments for reliable sexual propagation. This study investigated whether chitosan-based coating systems, incorporating glycerol as a plasticizer combined with either an amino acid biostimulant (betaine-proline) or gibberellic acid (GA3), could improve germination kinetics and seedling establishment. Seeds from mature fruits were subjected to 18 treatments across Petri dish and soil bioassays. In Petri dishes, the germination percentage remained uniformly high (86.67–100%), with GA3-containing formulations promoting shoot elongation and proline-betaine combinations favoring root development. In soil, treatments primarily modulated germination kinetics: GA3 combined with chitosan (1.5–2%) increased the germination speed by approximately 3.0–3.4 times relative to the control, while 1.5% chitosan with proline-betaine and glycerol yielded the fastest germination overall. Biomass responses were strongly formulation-dependent: 2% chitosan with GA3 maximized shoot and total dry weight, whereas 2% chitosan with proline-betaine and glycerol substantially improved root dry biomass and overall seedling quality. Glycerol exerted context-dependent effects, enhancing amino acid formulations while reducing performance in GA3 mixtures. These findings support the use of optimized chitosan-based treatments as effective tools for accelerating emergence and improving seedling robustness in rootstock production.

Christina-Ioanna Ntouvika, Lejdina Hoxha, Magdalini Malliari et al. · 0 citations

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