Responses to the use of growth-promoting bacteria in the germination and early development of wheat and soybeans

Resumo

Soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merrill) and wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) are of great importance to the national agricultural sector. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of inoculating growth-promoting bacteria on germination, emergence, and initial development of soybean and wheat seedlings. Experiments were conducted under controlled conditions, using different bacterial treatments, isolated and in mixtures, in single and double doses. Vigor parameters, germination, emergence speed index, initial growth, and root system characteristics were evaluated. The results indicated no statistically significant differences between treatments for most variables analyzed in both soybean and wheat. The observed variations were only numerical, with no statistical impact compared to the control. These results suggest that, under the evaluated conditions, microorganisms do not directly influence the initial physiological performance of seedlings, possibly because internal seed reserves predominate and because more time is needed for the establishment of the plant-microorganism interaction. It can be concluded that the beneficial effects of plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria tend to manifest themselves in later stages of plant development, reinforcing the importance of evaluations in later stages of crops.