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Journal of Desert Research ›› 2022, Vol. 42 ›› Issue (5): 73-81.DOI: 10.7522/j.issn.1000-694X.2022.00029

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Effects of Bacillus subtilis on seed germination, seedling growth of Caragana korshinskii and Ammopiptanthus mongolicus under drought stress

Yu Wang1(), Zhenting Liu1,2, Guanglei Gao1(), fengmei Du3, Ying Zhang1, Guodong Ding1, Yue Ren1, Hongyu Cao1   

  1. 1.Engineering Research Center of Forestry Ecological Engineering / Yanchi Ecology Research Station of the Mu Us Desert,School of Soil and Water Conservation,Beijing Forestry University,Beijing 100083,China
    2.College of Desert Control Science and Engineering,Inner Mongolia Agricultural University,Hohhot 010019,China
    3.Desertification Combating Centre of Bayannur City,Bayannur 015000,Inner Mongolia,China
  • Received:2021-11-24 Revised:2022-03-02 Online:2022-09-20 Published:2022-09-22
  • Contact: Guanglei Gao

Abstract:

Soil microbes are diverse and abundant functional population of organisms with strong adaptability towards the changing environments. Therefore, soil microbes have becoming a rising field of desertification combating technology. As a common microbial material, Bacillus subtilis are widely investigated in wind prevention and sand fixation, however the impacts on the colonization and growth of desert plants have been not explored in full. To reveal the effects of B. subtilis on seed germination, seedling growth, physiological and biochemical activity of desert plants, the controlled experiments were conducted using Caragana korshinskii and Ammopiptanthus mongolicus under different drought gradients and bacterial inoculum concentrations. The results indicated that (1) severe drought significantly inhibited the seed germination and seedling growth of C. korshinskiiP<0.05), and moderateand severe drought significantly inhibited the height growth of A. mongolicusP<0.05). Bacterial agent significantly promoted the seed germination of C. korshinskii and A. mongolicusP<0.05). Although the high bacterial inoculum concentration significantly promoted the growth of C. korshinskii seedlings (P<0.05), the crown growth of A. mongolicus was inhibited. (2) Bacillus subtilis benefited the photosynthetic chlorophyll of C. korshinskii and A. mongolicus, but there were different preferences of bacterial inoculum concentrations for C. korshinskii under different drought stress. Drought stress increased the malondialdehyde and proline in C. korshinskii and A. mongolicus seedlings, and the malondialdehyde in C. korshinskii with bacterial agent was significantly lower than the referenced treatment (P<0.05). The malondialdehyde and proline in A. mongolicus with bacterial agent were also significantly lower than the referenced treatment except for moderate drought stress (P<0.05). (3) The interaction of drought stress and bacterial agent had no significant effect on the seed germination and seedling growth of C. korshinskii and A. mongolicusP>0.01), but had a significant effect on the contents of chlorophyll, malondialdehyde and proline (P<0.01). Bacillus subtilis indirectly improve seed germination and seedling growth by affecting the physiological and biochemical activities to improve stress resistance. This improved information will provide to a better understand of the ecological functions of Bacillus subtilis, and contribute to the technology exploration of microbial sand fixation.

Key words: Bacillus subtilis, Ammopiptanthus mongolicus, Caragana korshinskii, drought stress, seed germination, seedling growth

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