The insights into the activity of the extracts from Polygonum aviculare L. and Pseudomonas fluorescens for enhancing and modeling seed germination and seedling growth of Melilotus officinalis L. Lam.

Theempiricalevidenceindicatedthatchemicalsinplantsandselectedmicroorganismscanpromotetheger-minationprocessanddeterminethegrowth,viability,survivalandyieldpotentialofindustrialcropplants.ThemainobjectiveofthisstudywasexploringthephytochemicalandmicrobiologicalsynergisticactivitybetweenplantextractsfromPolygonumaviculareL.andbeneficialbacteriaPseudomonasfluorescenstoenhancegerminationofMelilotusofficinalisseedsandimprovemorphologicalcharacteristicsofseedlings.Thederivedplantpreparationswereanalyzedqualitatively,whichshowedthattheaqueousextractsofP.avicularewerecharacterizedbyahighercontentofphenoliccompounds,micro-andmacroelementsandcarbohydratescomparedtothemacerates,andthatnophytohormonesweredetectedinboththeinfusionsandmacerates.Puremacerates(MAC),infusions(IF),bacterialcultures(PF)andtheirmixtures(MAC+PF;INF+PF)wereusedforseedtreatmentoftestplants.Inthecontrolgroup,lowervaluesofM.officinalisseedger-minationandseedlinggrowthrateswereobservedinrelationtotheappliedtreatments.Themosteffectivegerminationrateswereobtainedaftertheapplicationofpureinfusions(IF)andtheirmixturewithP.fluores-cens(IF+PF),whilethehighestgrowthrates(includinganalmosttwofoldincreaseinthelengthofthenostrilshootscomparedtothecontrol)wereobtainedaftertheapplicationofP.fluorescensinoculum(PF)andthemixtureoftheinfusionandthesebacteria(IF+PF).Theuseofmodeling,asatoolforpredictinggerminationefficiency,hasbeenshowntoprovidescreeningopportunitiesforidentifyingtheeffectivenessofbiostimulanttreatments.Thereby,thisindicatestheneedtodevelopsuchanapproachunderfieldconditions.