EFFECTS OF BIOPOLYMER COATING ON BACTERIA INOCULATED SEED ON SOME GROWTH PARAMETERS AND NODULATION VALUES OF CHICKPEA PLANT

İngilizce (OpenAlex)

Recent studies have not overlooked the importance of microorganisms in sustainable agriculture. However, biological fertilizers are limited due to the sensitivity of using these microorganisms as fertilizers. To increase the use of microbial fertilizers, there is a need to maintain the viability of microorganisms to avoid these limitations. For this purpose, chickpea (Azkan) seeds were surface sterilized with sodium hypochlorite solution (0.5%) and inoculated by Rhizobium ciceri bacteria in a liquid solution (1x108 CFU/mL). Seeds inoculated with rhizobium bacteria were coated with sodium alginate and chitosan solutions prepared at 1% concentration. After coating the seed surface, it was stored in a place away from light for a certain period (3 months). At the end of this period, seeds were planted in a sterile culture substrate (sand and perlite) and transplanted to controlled greenhouse conditions. In addition, seeds inoculated and covered with biomaterials were planted as a control on the same day (day 0). Chickpea plants were harvested at the end of 60–65 days of the vegetative period, and some growth parameters (length of upper parts and roots, the upper part portions' wet and dry weight, roots' wet and dry weight, nodules' number and weight, nitrogen concentration in leaves and roots) were determined. The effect of coating the surface of bacteria-inoculated seeds with sodium alginate and chitosan was statistically significant at p-values of less than 0.05 and 0.01. When compared to the plants under control, the coating with sodium alginate was more effective in increasing some of the growth parameters and the bacterial population than the coating with chitosan. Keywords: Chickpea, chitosan, coating, inoculation, Rhizobium ciceri, sodium alginate