Alameda Martín, AitorChamizo, SoniaRodríguez Caballero, EmilioMuñoz Rojas, MiriamCantón, Yolanda2025-06-112025-06-112024-10-04Alameda Martín, A., Chamizo, S., Rodríguez Caballero, E., Muñoz Rojas, M. y Cantón, Y. (2024). The Potential of Biocrust-Forming Cyanobacteria to Enhance Seedling Growth of Native Semi-arid Plants Through Seed Biopriming. Journal of Plant Growth Regulation. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00344-024-11521-6.1435-81070721-7595https://hdl.handle.net/11441/174214In drylands, extreme environmental conditions pose a challenge for restoration, especially on a large scale. Direct seeding,is the most cost-efective approach to restore large areas, but it requires improvements to enhance seedling survival and,establishment. For this purpose, biopriming seeds with cyanobacteria is promising due to their plant growth-promoting,properties. We evaluated the efect of seed biopriming with native biocrust-forming cyanobacteria on seed germination and,radicle length of four native plant species, two perennials (Macrochloa tenacissima and Thymus hyemalis) and two annuals,(Plantago ovata and Stipa capensis), chosen for their ubiquity in Mediterranean drylands. Treatments included seed biopriming with cyanobacteria inoculants (biomass+exudate), seed priming only with the cyanobacterial exudate, and controls,(BG11 culture medium and distilled water). Biopriming efect was assessed individually for four native biocrust-forming,cyanobacteria species: Nostoc commune, Tolypothrix distorta, Trichocoleus desertorum, and Leptolyngbya frigida. Seed,biopriming showed no efect on germination with similar rates among treatments (on average, 45±12.6% for M. tenacissima,,38.8±12.4% for T. hyemalis, 91.7±9.8% for P. ovata and 77.6±10.8% for S. capensis). However, biopriming signifcantly,afected radicle length of annual plants. Radicles were signifcantly increased in P. ovata when treated with cyanobacterial,exudates (15–30% increase over control), and in S. capensis when treated with cyanobacterial biomass+exudate (26–42%,increase over control). These results indicate that the efect of seed biopriming is species specifc, but selecting the appropriate plant species and biopriming treatment can enhance plant survival and establishment in drylands, making restoration,eforts more successful.application/pdf18 p.engAttribution 4.0 Internationalhttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Cyanobacteria exudateCyanobacteria biomassAnnual plantsGerminationRadicle lengthRestorationinfo:eu-repo/semantics/articleinfo:eu-repo/semantics/openAccesshttps://doi.org/10.1007/s00344-024-11521-6