Seed germination and seedling state of wheat Triticum aestivum when exposed to Azotobacter chroococcum cell suspension

To date, the ability of various Azotobacter strains to enter into symbiosis with the wheat and regulate its development has not been studied enough. In this regard, we assessed the capacity of strain No. 4 of Azotobacter chroococcum isolated from the soil of agricultural land in Nizhny Novgorod region (Russia) to influence the seed germination and the state of wheat seedlings (Triticum aestivum L.) when various quantities of cells were introduced into the nutrient solution (from 109 cells/ml (A) to A/256) in the first day of the experiment. It was stated that all cell concentrations except for the smallest one caused reduced seed germination. Low concentrations (А/256-А/64) did not affect the wet biomass of seedlings root; medium ones А/32-А/16 increased it. At high concentrations А/8 the effect disappeared, and the highest concentrations А/4-А again increased this parameter. As for the wet shoot biomass, a stimulating effect was caused only by the concentrations A/2 and A/4. Chlorophyll and carotenoids content, as well as the intensity of lipid peroxidation did not change under the action of A. chroococcum. Thus, the studied strain of A. chroococcum is capable of regulating the germination of seeds and the growth of the root system and shoots of T. aestivum.