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Plant Science Today (PST)

Research Articles

Early Access

Endophytic seed cube technology for enhanced seed germination, crop establishment and soil microbial dynamics in ridge gourd (Luffa acutangula)

DOI
https://doi.org/10.14719/pst.9807
Submitted
3 June 2025
Published
31-07-2025
Versions

Abstract

Ridge gourd (Luffa acutangula), which is often called a nutritional powerhouse, is a widely cultivated and valued crop across the globe. The use of synthetic chemicals in agriculture poses serious risks to both environment and human health, urging the need for eco-friendly techniques. Thus, providing an optimum growth medium enriched with beneficial organisms can enhance seedling establishment, microbial interactions and plant health sustainably. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the potential of endophyte enriched seed cubes to improve seedling vigour, microbial activity and crop establishment in ridge gourd. The seed cubes were enriched with different endophytes viz., Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus licheniformis, Pseudomonas fluorescens, Pseudomonas putida, Trichoderma harzianum, Rhizobium japonicum and Bacillus megaterium each at 2 %, 4 % and 6 % concentrations. Among the endophytes, it was found that Rhizobium japonicum 6 % significantly enhanced seed germination (95 %), root length (15.2 cm), shoot length (18.7 cm), dry matter (14.8 g/100 seedlings), seedling vigour (3221 & 14.1) and microbial load (35, 47 & 23 cfu/g) over dry seeds under shadenet condition. Similarly, field evaluation also confirmed that R. japonicum 6 % improved seedling growth, biomass and chlorophyll content over control plants. In addition, the enhanced soil dehydrogenase (66 %) and phosphatase (46 %) activities favour soil microbiome improvement, organic matter enrichment and nutrient cycling which is ultimately essential for crop establishment. Thus, the findings of this study highlight the potential of Rhizobium japonicum 6 % enriched seed cubes as an eco-friendly alternative to enhance ridge gourd cultivation with reduced environmental hazards. Furthermore, the feasibility of this technology across various crops offers a promising solution for enhancing crop productivity, while maintaining environmental sustainability.

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