Enhancing Lavender Germination and Growth: An Assessment of Biofertilizer Seed Priming on Physiological and Biochemical Attributes Under Water Stress

Enhancing herbal plant germination through biological priming is crucial under water stress conditions. This study investigated the effects of different biopriming techniques on the physiological and biochemical attributes of two lavender genotypes (English and French) under water stress induced by PEG-6000 (-1, -0.5, 0.25, and 0 MPa) during 2022. Results indicated that the English genotype outperformed the French genotype regarding germination parameters and photosynthetic pigment content, while the French genotype exhibited higher activity levels of antioxidant enzymes. Under well-watered conditions, hydropriming (HP) and Azetobacter + Pseudomonas (AzPs) treatments led to the most excellent germination percentages and tallest seedlings in the English genotype. Hydropriming and AzPs treatments resulted in the most elevated levels of chlorophyll a, b, and total. Additionally, when subjected to water stress, the AzPs treatment showed the highest chlorophyll b and total. Proline content was found to vary between genotypes and treatments, with the highest mean associated with the English genotype and seed priming with AzPs + Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) under the highest level of water stress. The study suggests that bio-priming with biofertilizers and hydropriming can improve germination parameters and physiological characteristics, with individual biofertilizers being more effective than their combined application. Moreover, the English genotype exhibited superior features to the French genotype, and using of AMF and AzPs alone can enhance seed germination and improve the biochemical characteristics of lavender under water stress conditions.