Effect of seed priming with salicylic acid and plant growth promoting bacteria on some morpho-physiological traits of mung bean (Vigna radiata)

In order to study the effects of mung bean seed priming with salicylic acid (0, 0.2, 0.5 and 1 mM) and inoculation with different plant growth promoting bacteria (control, inoculation with Pseudomonas, Azotobacter chroococcum and Azospirillum lipoferum) a factorial experiment was conducted based on randomized complete block design with three replications. Based on results, the interaction effect of salicylic acid priming and inoculation with growth-promoting bacteria on leaf chlorophyll index, protein percentage, grain yield and harvest index were significant. However, root dry weight, root volume and biological yield were only affected by the simple effects of salicylic acid priming and inoculation with growth-promoting bacteria. The highest amounts of biological yield, root volume and dry weight observed in 0.5 mM salicylic acid priming. In all levels of salicylic acid, inoculation with Azotobacter resulted in highest percentage of seed protein content. The positive effects of plant growth promoting bacteria on seed yield, leaf chlorophyll index and harvest index was related to concentration of salicylic acid and in the concentration of 0.2 and 0.5 mM the highest seed yield observed after inoculation with Pseudomonas treatment.