Bacterial inoculants for enhanced seed germination of Spartina densiflora: Implications for restoration of metal polluted areas.
The design of effective phytoremediation programs is severely hindered by poor seed germination on metal polluted soils. The possibility that inoculation with plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) could help overcoming this problem is hypothesized. Our aim was investigating the role of PGPR in Spartina densiflora seed germination on sediments with different physicochemical characteristics and metal pollution degrees. Gram negative Pantoea agglomerans RSO6 and RSO7, and gram positive Bacillus aryabhattai RSO25, together with the consortium of the three strains, were used for independent inoculation experiments. The presence of metals (As, Cu, Pb and Zn) in sediments reduced seed germination by 80%. Inoculation with Bacillus aryabhattai RSO25 or Pantoea agglomerans RSO6 and RSO7 enhanced up to 2.5 fold the germination rate of S. densiflora in polluted sediments regarding non-inoculated controls. Moreover, the germination process was accelerated and the germination period was extended. The consortium did not achieve further improvements in seed germination.
Departamento de Microbiología y Parasitología, Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad de Sevilla, c/Profesor García González, 2, 41012 Sevilla, Spain.
Karina I
KI
Paredes-Páliz
Departamento de Microbiología y Parasitología, Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad de Sevilla, c/Profesor García González, 2, 41012 Sevilla, Spain.
Eloísa
E
Pajuelo
Departamento de Microbiología y Parasitología, Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad de Sevilla, c/Profesor García González, 2, 41012 Sevilla, Spain.
Bouchra
B
Doukkali
Departamento de Microbiología y Parasitología, Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad de Sevilla, c/Profesor García González, 2, 41012 Sevilla, Spain.
Miguel Ángel
MÁ
Caviedes
Departamento de Microbiología y Parasitología, Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad de Sevilla, c/Profesor García González, 2, 41012 Sevilla, Spain.
Ignacio D
ID
Rodríguez-Llorente
Departamento de Biología Vegetal y Ecología, Facultad de Biología, Universidad de Sevilla, 1095, 41012 Sevilla, Spain. Electronic address: emana@us.es.
Enrique
E
Mateos-Naranjo
D059827:Agricultural Inoculants; D001407:Bacillus; D004787:Environmental Pollution; D052918:Environmental Restoration and Remediation / Q000379:methods; D019015:Geologic Sediments / Q000737:chemistry; D018525:Germination; D008670:Metals; D020636:Pantoea; D006109:Poaceae / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000382:microbiology*; D058441:Rhizosphere; D012639:Seeds / Q000254:growth & development / Q000382:microbiology; D012989:Soil Pollutants
D008670:Metals; D012989:Soil Pollutants
Bioaugmentation; Metal pollution; Odiel estuary; PGPR; Seed germination; Spartina densiflora