GERMINATION CAPACITY OF BLACK SAXAUL (HALOXYLON APHYLLUM) SEEDS IN SALINE AND ARID ENVIRONMENTS AND THE ECOPHYSIOLOGICAL IMPACT OF HALOTOLERANT MICROBIOME

Abstract

Evaluating the germination capacity of Haloxylon aphyllum-growing in the dried seabed region of the Aral Sea-under high soil salinity conditions underscores the necessity of studying its associated microbiome and assessing key ecophysiological features of its survival mechanisms in adverse environments. In this article, the impact of biopreparations and the effect of NaCl salinity concentrations (0, 20, 60, and 100 mM) on Haloxylon aphyllum seeds were analyzed based on a literature review. It can be observed that higher salinity concentrations exert a greater negative impact on the germination percentage. Under such conditions, identifying promising halotolerant bacterial strains and studying their mechanisms of action on seed germination in highly saline climatic conditions is of paramount importance.