Study of bacteria of cotton phytosphere on the cotton seed germination and characteristics of seedling

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Assisstant Professor, Plant Protection Dept, Cotton Research Institute of Iran, Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Gorgan, Iran.

2 Professor of Dept of Plant protection, Faculty of Agriculture, Bu–Ali Sina University, Hamedan, Iran.

10.22092/bcpp.2026.372148.413

Abstract

The phyllosphere is the surface of the aerial parts of plants and a place for microorganisms to live. The rhizosphere is a region of the root that soil microorganisms have a strong affinity for, and use root secretions as carbon and energy sources and compete for food and space. In order to investigate the effect of cotton phytospheric bacteria on the characteristics and growth rate of cotton seedlings, phytospheric bacteria were isolated as epiphytes and endophytes from cotton plants and seeds in different cotton growing areas and fields of Golestan province. After growth, single bacterial colonies were purified based on morphological characteristics such as color, size, edge shape, and appearance of the colonies. In order to determine the effect of bacteria on seedling growth, seeds were soaked for 10 minutes with a bacterial suspension diluted to 106 CFU and the number of germinated seeds was counted on the third and sixth days. 10 seeds were randomly selected in each treatment and traits such as germination rate, root and shoot growth length, root and dry weight, shoot and fresh weight, total fresh and dry weight, root, shoot and total tissue water content were measured. Based on biochemical and phenotypic tests, amplification and 16SrRNA gene sequencing, the representatives of the strains were identified. Bacillus pumilus MR11, B. pumilus MR12, B. pumilus MR13, B. safensis MR21, B. safensis MR22 and Stenotrophomonas pavanii MR31 isolates were isolated and identified as superior isolates as endophytes and from the rhizosphere. Also, Pseudomonas fluorescens, P. syringae and Pantoea annatis were isolated and identified as epiphytic species from plants and seeds. Based on the comparison of the means of the studied traits, six–day–old seedlings treated with Bacillus pumilus MR11 and B. pumilus MR12 strains had the highest root and shoot lengths and shoot fresh weights. Considering that B. pumilus MR12 and S. pavanii MR31 strains also had the highest germination percentage and speed, their use as seed treatments can increase the percentage and speed of seed germination and be effective in reducing the amount of damage caused by early season diseases and seedling death. Considering that these strains were also superior in terms of seedling water capacity, it is recommended to investigate their effect on cotton seed germination under saline conditions in future research. This is the first report of the isolation of B. safensis, B. pumilus, and S. pavanii bacteria from the rhizosphere as cotton endophytes in Iran.
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References

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BioControl in Plant Protection
Volume 12, Issue 2
December 2025
Pages 101-113

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