Standardisation of Microbial Bio-Priming for Enhancing Seedling Vigour in Barnyard Millet (Echinochloa frumentacea) var. MDU 1
Iswariya. S *
Department of Seed Science and Technology, Don Bosco College of Agriculture (DBCA), Sagayathottam Ranipet, (Dist), Tamil Nadu, India.
K. Rahul
Department of Agricultural Economics, Don Bosco College of Agriculture (DBCA), Sagayathottam Ranipet, (Dist), Tamil Nadu, India.
Sanjay M.
Department of Seed Science and Technology, University of Agricultural Sciences, Raichur, India.
Shanmugapriyan M
Department of Genetics & Plant Breeding, Annamalai University, Chidambaram, India.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
In general, the bio-priming of seeds using Plant Growth Promoting Bacteria (PGPB) enhances germination rates and fosters better seedling establishment. To capitalise on these advantages, a bio-priming experiment was carried out on barnyard millet seeds utilising five distinct liquid microbial cultures. This study also incorporated four combinations of bio-inoculants. The nine bioprimed seed variants were compared against hydroprimed and non-primed seeds. The data underwent statistical analysis using AGRES software. The findings indicated that seeds immersed in equal volumes of liquid microbial cultures, specifically Azophos (T2), Pseudomonas fluorescens (T4), Pink-pigmented facultative methylotrophic bacteria (PPFMs) (T5), and the combination of Azophos + Pseudomonas fluorescens (T8) at a concentration of 20% for 8 hours, exhibited superior germination rates, root lengths (cm), shoot lengths (cm), dry matter production (g/10 seedlings) and overall vigour. Among these microbial cultures, Azophos + Pseudomonas fluorescens (T8) demonstrated the most significant improvement in seed physiological characteristics. This study establishes a standardised bio-priming protocol using Azophos + Pseudomonas fluorescens at 20% for 8 hours for barnyard millet. Therefore, it is recommended to use Azophos + Pseudomonas fluorescens at a concentration of 20% for 8 hours as the optimal seed treatment for enhancing seed physiological parameters in the barnyard millet variety MDU 1.
Keywords: Bio-priming, azophos, pseudomonas fluorescens, physiological characters, barnyard millet