Development of a Rhizobium Seed Coating to Establish Lupine Species on Degraded Rangelands.

Restoring native plant species on degraded landscapes is challenging. Symbiotic partners in the plant rhizosphere can aid in nutrient acquisition, pathogen protection, stress tolerance, and many other processes. However, these microbes are often absent in altered landscapes and need to be re-integrated to improve restoration efforts.

Slow Release of GA Hormone from Polymer Coating Overcomes Seed Dormancy and Improves Germination.

Seed dormancy often hinders direct seeding efforts that are attempting to restore degraded landscapes. Gibberellic acid (GA) can be applied to physiologically dormant seeds to induce germination, but this hormone is rarely effective, as it can degrade or be leached from the seed. We tested different polymer matrixes (polylactic acid, polyvinylpyrrolidone, and ethylcellulose) to apply and slowly release GA to the seed.