Exploring the role of bacterial endophytes in mitigating salinity stress in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum)

S  LAKSHMI; G R  PARINITH; S  NAKKEERAN; P R  RENGANAYAKI; S  AMBIKA; D THIRUSENDURA  SELVI

doi:10.56093/ijas.v96i8.170868

Authors

S LAKSHMI Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu 641 003, India
G R PARINITH Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu 641 003, India
S NAKKEERAN Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu 641 003, India
P R RENGANAYAKI Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu 641 003, India
S AMBIKA SRM College of Agricultural Sciences, Baburayanpettai, Chengalpattu, Tamil Nadu, India
D THIRUSENDURA SELVI Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu 641 003, India

https://doi.org/10.56093/ijas.v96i8.170868

Keywords:

Biopriming, Germination, Salt tolerance, Seed treatment, Tomato

Abstract

One of the most significant factors influencing global crop production is salt stress. Plants adapt to salinity stress using a variety of physiological, morphological and molecular mechanisms. Microbial agents, particularly bacterial endophytes, have shown to enhance salinity tolerance, thereby improving plant growth, survival and physiological performance under saline stress. The present study was carried out during 2023–25 at Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu to evaluate the efficacy of bacterial endophyte seed biopriming for enhancing tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) growth, physiological performance and salinity tolerance under saline conditions to find the most efficient endophyte and to elucidate the biochemical mechanism by profiling the root exudate metabolites using Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS). Tomato cv. PKM 1 seed were bioprimed with Bacillus firmis (1:1), Bacillus paralicheniformis (undiluted broth), Bacillus amyloliquefaciens (undiluted broth) and Bacillus velezensis (1:1) along with water (hydropriming) for 12 h. Non-primed seeds were used as control. The primed and control seeds were sown in pots with different levels of salinity (0 mM, 25 mM, 50 mM and 75 mM NaCl). Among the tested isolates, B. paralicheniformis performed the best followed by B. firmis under different salinity levels at different durations such as 30, 45 and 60 days. B. paralicheniformis recorded highest leaf area (85.7 cm), chlorophyll content (2.0 mg/g) and relative water content (77.5%) at 60 days. The best-performed isolates (B. paralicheniformis suspension, B. firmis suspension) along with the control under pot culture were selected and raised for 15 days using hydroponic method. The root exudates were collected and analysed through GC-MS. The seeds primed with paralicheniformis recorded more biomolecules such as niacinamide, 2,4-di-tert-butylphenol, α-terpinyl acetate and fatty acid derivatives such as methyl cis-13,16-docosadienoate and hexadecanoic acid butyl ester which possess stress-protective and antioxidant properties that may be responsible for phytohormone production, stimulation of antioxidant activity and resulted in improved physiological performance of tomato seedlings under salinity.

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