Introducing plant-growth promoting bacteria at flowering into chilli seed for modification of plant microbiome: a new approach to modify plant traits

Chilli (Capsicum species) is an important spice and vegetable crop of the world. Capsicum species have been widely used in food as well as in pharmaceutical industries, especially in Thailand which foods are always contain spice inside. The global demand of chilli has continuously increase as a commercial crop due to its food value and health benefits. Thus, it is very important to enhance chilli production together with improving its nutritional and health benefits.

Seed microbiome can dynamically influence germination, plant performance, and plant survival. Application of Plant growth promoting bacteria (PGPB) at the flowering stage has been successfully reported as the new approach to improve seed quality in maize, wheat, soybean and pepper. In this study, selected microbes in the Microbial culture collection of Fungal biotechnology laboratory have been applied to chilli flower at the flowering stage, to determine the efficacy of seeds and monitor the modification of the seed microbiome together with the efficiency of plant growth. The results from this experiment could be an alternative approach to improve seed quality and further reduce the use of agricultural chemicals in environment. This will lead to sustainable solutions to agricultural problems for the future