Effect of presowing treatment of spring wheat seeds with wheat germ agglutinin on the chlorophyll content, lectin activity in leaves and nitrogen-fixing capacity of rhizospheric microorganisms

The response of spring wheat and rhizospheric nitrogen-fixing micro-organisms to the presowing treatment of seeds by wheat germ agglutinin was investigated in conditions of green house experiments. It was shown, that exogenous lectin induced the metabolic changes in plants and caused an increase in chlorophyll content and activity of endogenous lectins in the leaves, as well as enhanced accumulation of plants biomass and nitrogen-fixing capacity of the rhizospheric micro-organisms. These results evidence for the considerable role of exogenous lectin as a regulator of growth and development of plants and activity of the nitrogen-fixing microorganisms.