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Effect of Osmopriming with Melatonin on Germination, Vigor and Health of Daucus carota L. Seeds
Carrot is one of the most frequently grown vegetables in Poland and in the world. Seed-borne pathogenic fungi negatively influence their quality as well as the quantity and quality of carrot root yield. Melatonin is a PGR, which includes protective effects against biotic and abiotic stress factors and antioxidant effects. The aim of this experiment was to determine the effect of osmopriming with melatonin on germination, vigor and carrot seeds health. Carrot seeds were osmoprimed in a solution of polyethylene glycol (PEG) with an osmotic potential of −1.5 MPa at 20 °C for 7 days; melatonin was added to the PEG solution at doses of 25, 50, 100 or 200 µM. Generally, osmopriming with the addition of melatonin significantly improved germination capacity at first and final counts (sample I about 7–14% and sample II 35–43%), reduced the incidence of Alternaria alternata, A. radicina and Fusarium spp. and increased the percentage of non-sporulating hyphae. Treating accelerated the germination of seeds at a significant rate in comparison with untreated seeds and treated with fungicide, especially at low dosage, i.e., 25–50 µM. MGT of primed seeds with the addition of melatonin at dose 25 µM shortened about 0.5 day (sample I) and 1 day (sample II) The effect of melatonin on seed quality parameters was comparable or better than treating with fungicide. The results suggest that melatonin could replace fungicides in the future, which are harmful to the environment.
Flowering, Quality and Nutritional Status of Tropaeolum majus L. ‘Spitfire’ after Application of Trichoderma spp.
The aim of this study was to compare the influence of three species of fungi of the Trichoderma genus (T. aureoviride Rifai—Ta8, T. hamatum/Bonord/Bainier—Th15, and T. harzianum Rifai—Thr2) on the quality, flowering, and nutritional status of Tropaeolum majus L. ‘Spitfire’. Early flowering was only influenced by T. hamatum, which delayed it by 6 days. T. aureoviride, T. hamatum, and T. harzianum stimulated the flowering of the ‘Spitfire’ cultivar but did not affect the size of the flowers. The plants treated with T. harzianum after being planted in pots flowered the most abundantly. Trichoderma spp. caused the plants to grow more intensively, producing longer and more leafy shoots with a greater number of offshoots. Trichoderma spp. stimulated the uptake of macronutrients, except for phosphorus (P). In the case of calcium (Ca) and sodium (Na), this phenomenon was only observed in plants treated with T. aureoviride and T. hamatum, and for magnesium (Mg), only when T. hamatum was applied to sown seeds. As for the developed root systems, as far as the micronutrients are concerned, Trichoderma spp. stimulated the uptake of zinc (Zn) and manganese (Mn). Apart from that, there was a higher iron (Fe) content in the plants treated with T. harzianum on both dates and T. aureoviride after planting the plants in pots.