Cyanobacterium-amended mixes as priming options for stimulating growth and improving nutrient availability in nursery-grown Chrysanthemum rooted stem cuttings

• Published in: Acta physiologiae plantarum 2021-07, Vol.43 (7), Article 102
• Main Authors: Bharti, Asha, Prasanna, Radha, Dantuluri, V. S. Raju, Chawla, Gautam, Shivay, Yashbir Singh, Nain, Lata
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Acetic acid; Agriculture; Anabaena; Anabaena laxa; Anabaena torulosa; Biofilms; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Butyric acid; Chrysanthemum; Colonization; Cuttings; Cyanobacteria; Dosage; Enzymatic activity; Indole-3-butyric acid; Indoleacetic acid; Life Sciences; Micronutrients; Mixtures; Nutrient availability; Original Article; Perlite; Plant Anatomy/Development; Plant Biochemistry; Plant Genetics and Genomics; Plant growth; Plant Pathology; Plant Physiology; Plant tissues; Priming; Rooting; Vermiculite
• ISSN: 0137-5881; 1861-1664
• DOI: 10.1007/s11738-021-03273-7

The development of suitable nutrient media for high-value floricultural nurseries assumes great significance. In the present investigation, the cuttings of two Chrysanthemum varieties ( Pusa Aditya and Jaya ) were grown in cyanobacterium-amended mixes (sand or rooting mix comprising cocopeat, vermiculite, and perlite in 3:1:1). Three cyanobacterial cultures—BF1 ( Anabaena torulosa ), BF4 ( Anabaena doliolum ) and RPAN8 ( Anabaena laxa ) were used to amend individually, and analyses undertaken after 30 days were compared with the indole butyric acid (IBA) treated control cuttings. Chrysanthemum cuttings grown in Anabaena laxa amended rooting mix brought about 30–40% enhancement in the concentrations of indole acetic acid (IAA) in the root tissues. Plant growth and biometrical parameters showed one-two fold enhancement in root volume, dry biomass of root and shoot tissues. Available nitrogen and micronutrients were enriched by 50–70% in the cyanobacterium amended mixes of both varieties. A significant and positive correlation was recorded between dehydrogenase activity, root biofilm formation ability of cyanobacteria with plant growth, and elicited plant enzyme activities. Scanning microscopic analyses illustrated effective colonisation by the inoculated cyanobacterium. Anabaena torulosa and Anabaena laxa performed best with Pusa Aditya and Jaya respectively. Pusa Aditya responded better to cyanobacterial cultures as compared to Jaya , in terms of overall performances based on biochemical and biometric analyses. Tripartite interactions among inoculants, medium and plant variety revealed significant effects. Such amended mixes can be integrated into nursery management practices of floricultural crops as an option, to generate more robust and healthy plants, with a reduced dosage of chemicals.