简介：Amicrobialinoculant,knownaseffectivemicroorganisms(EM),wasappliedtodetermineitsefficacyonseedgerminationandseedlinggrowthinthenurseryofAcaciaauriculiformisACunn.exBenth.Theseedlingsweregrowninamixtureofsandysoilandcowdung(3:1)andkeptinpolybags;EMwaspouredatdifferentconcentrations(0.1%,0.5%,1%,2%,5%and10%).Seedgerminationrateandgrowthparametersofseedlings–shootandrootlengths,freshanddryweightsofshootsandroots,vigor,volume,andqualityindicesandsturdiness–weremeasured.ThenodulationstatusinfluencedbyEMwasalsoobserved,alongwiththemeasurementofpigmentcontentsinleaves.Thehighestgerminationrate(72%)wasobservedin2%EMsolutionwhilethelowest(55%)wasfoundincontroltreatment.Thehighestshootandrootlengths(30.6cmand31.2cmrespectively)wererecordedin2%EMandweresignificantly(p<0.05)differentfromcontrol.Bothfreshanddryweightsofshootsweremaximum(8.66gand2.99grespectively)in2%EM,whereasbothfreshanddryweightsofrootweremaximum(2.56gand1.23grespectively)in5%EMsolution.Althoughthehighestvigorindex,volumeindex,andsturdiness(4450,628and67.5respectively)werefoundin2%EM,thehighestqualityindex(0.455)wasfoundin5%EMsolution.Thenodulenumberwashigherataverylow(0.5%)concentrationofEMbutitnormallydecreasedwiththeincreaseofconcentration.Thecontentsofchlorophylla,chlorophyllb,andcarotenoidweremaximum(43.26mg?L-1,13.56mg?L-1and17.99mg?L-1respectively)in2%EM.Therefore,lowconcentrationofEM(upto2%)canberecommendedforgettingmaximumseedgerminationandseedlingdevelopmentofA.auriculiformisinthenursery.