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Increase in auxiliary photoprotective photosynthetic pigments in wheat seedlings induced by Azospirillum brasilense

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Abstract

Inoculation of wheat seedlings with the plant growth-promoting bacterium Azospirillum brasilense Cd was immobilized in alginate microbeads and, without applying any stress, significantly increased the quantity of several photosynthetic pigments, such as chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, and the auxiliary photoprotective pigments violaxanthin, zeaxanthin, antheroxanthin, lutein, neoxanthin, and β-carotene. This resulted in greener plants with no apparent visible stress. After monitoring the quantity of photosynthetic pigments for 4 weeks, we observed that inoculated plants had higher quantities of pigments in shoot and stem. The greatest difference in the quantity of all pigments between inoculated and noninoculated plants occurred in the first week of growth. Regardless of treatment, the quantity of pigments in stems was three to four times less than the quantity of these pigments in shoots. Application of Azospirillum, either as liquid inoculant or as alginate microbeads, did not alter the positive effect of the bacteria on pigment production or the positive response of the plants towards A. brasilense Cd inoculation.

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Acknowledgements

Yoav Bashan participated in this study in memory of the late Messrs. Avner and Uzi Bashan from Israel. We thank Francisco Hernandez of CIBNOR for HPLC analysis of pigments and the staff editor for improving the English text. This study was partially supported by The National Council of Science and Technology of Mexico (CONACYT contract U39520-Z) and The Bashan Foundation, USA.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Environmental Microbiology Group, Center for Biological Research of the Northwest (CIBNOR), P.O. Box 128, La Paz, B.C.S., 23000, Mexico

    Y. Bashan, J. J. Bustillos, L. A. Leyva, J.-P. Hernandez & M. Bacilio

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  1. Y. Bashan
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  2. J. J. Bustillos
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  3. L. A. Leyva
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  4. J.-P. Hernandez
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  5. M. Bacilio
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Correspondence to Y. Bashan.

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Bashan, Y., Bustillos, J.J., Leyva, L.A. et al. Increase in auxiliary photoprotective photosynthetic pigments in wheat seedlings induced by Azospirillum brasilense . Biol Fertil Soils 42, 279–285 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00374-005-0025-x

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