Biopriming of Durum Wheat Seeds with Diazotrophic Bacteria Improved Physiological and Biochemical Pathways Under Salt Stress

Abstract

A significant strategy for sustainable management, by decreasing the use of chemical fertilizers, can consist of technology based on suitable levels of plant growth promoting bacteria (PGPB) seed biopriming. The main goal of this work was to demonstrate the positive effect of PGPB as seed biopriming factor on the growth of durum wheat plantlets under stress. plantlets physiological and biochemical pathways modifications were assessed in controlled growth chamber under salt stress. Seeds bioprimed with bacterial strains, in particular, Bacillus pumilus (MA9), Virgibacillus halodenitrificans (MA14), Bacillus subtilis (MA17), and Bacillus pumilus (MA19), demonstrated the best development of durum wheat seedlings under salt stress. The total length and total dry weight were altogether higher in bioprimed than in unbioprimed plants. The PGPB-bioprimed plants were very sound and hydrated, and the unbioprimed plant leaves were parched within 120 mM NaCl. In contrast to explants without PGPB, all the biochemical variables, for example, auxin, proline, soluble sugars, amino acids, and protein, were essentially improved in bioprimed explants. Biopriming with MA17 fundamentally diminished the reactive oxygen species (ROS) rate, particularly without salt stress. In any case, this impact of the hindrance of “ROS” was more pronounced under stressful conditions. The explant antioxidant prevention agent pathways catalase (CAT) and ascorbate peroxidase (APX) and the chlorophyll content were improved after seed biopriming with PGPB when explants with unbioprimed seeds had low cell reinforcement pathways under the two treatments, particularly under pressure. The bioprimed plants additionally had higher K+/Na+ proportions and expanded intracellular K+ ion activity. Hence, it can be anticipated that seed biopriming with PGPB is a novel technology that can improve healthy plant development under saline conditions. This study shows that PGPB has a significant effect in initiating resistance under stressful conditions in plants and can be utilized to develop new bioinoculants to reduce the use of chemical fertilizers.

The authors' abstract, as published at the source. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 2026 · DOI ↗