STRATEGIES FOR SEED BACTERIZATION

ISHS Acta Horticulturae 253: IV International Symposium on Seed Research in Horticulture

STRATEGIES FOR SEED BACTERIZATION

Author:

B. Digat

Abstract:
Genetic potential of seeds can fully express if only conditions of environment are favourable. In natural soils, some resident bacteria are deleterious during germination and radicle development. Therefore microbiologists could endeavour to correct this "mistake of the nature" by a rational and effective bacterization with beneficial bacterial strains.

In this study, emphasis is on seed rhizobacterization with Pseudomonas fluorescens and P. putida and specially on two main difficultes :

How to do a judicious selection of PGPR strains able to produce a well-adapted inoculum ?
How to perform an effective delivery system of bacteria applied to the seed allowing a fast establishment of inoculum on the radicle during germination ?

Moreover effectiveness of bacterial seed coating is spatial-limited by seed bulk itself and by development of root system causing a gradual dilution of bacterial inoculum. So seed rhizobacterization can be complemented by soil bacterization in the root zone, performed simultaneously when sowing. In the future, genetic engineering could improve the effectiveness of seed rhizobacterization by establishing artificial symbiosis between bacteria and root system.

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