Microbial alleviation of PEG-induced moisture stress in wheat: Genotypic responses of germination and early seedling traits

Moisture stress during early seedling growth severely limits wheat establishment and productivity, particularly under rainfed and drought-prone environments. The present investigation evaluated the effect of polyethylene glycol (PEG)-induced moisture stress and microbial treatment on germination and seedling growth traits in twenty wheat genotypes under controlled conditions. Moisture stress was simulated using PEG at 10% and 15% concentrations, while microbial treatment was applied to assess its potential in mitigating stress effects. Germination percentage, shoot length, and root length were recorded to assess seedling performance under control, stress, and microbe-treated conditions. Results revealed a progressive decline in germination and seedling growth with increasing PEG concentration, confirming the inhibitory impact of osmotic stress. However, microbial treatment significantly improved all measured traits under both stress levels, indicating enhanced seedling vigor and tolerance to moisture stress. Root growth showed comparatively greater resilience under microbial inoculation, suggesting improved water acquisition and adaptive capacity under stress conditions. Genotypic differences were evident, highlighting the presence of genetic variability for moisture stress tolerance at the seedling stage. Overall, the study demonstrated that microbial inoculation effectively alleviates PEG-induced moisture stress and can serve as a sustainable strategy to enhance early seedling establishment and drought resilience in wheat, with promising implications for stress-resilient breeding and crop management practices.