FIG. 1.

Two different stages of germination of maize seeds coated with luminescent P. putida MAX10 in a polystyrene layer 4 days (A and B) and 9 days (C and D) after the seeds were coated with bacteria. Pictures were taken under artificial light (A and C) or in the dark (B and D) with 30-min exposure, using a charge-coupled device camera. The seeds shown had been stored for 30 days after the plastic coating was applied, although identical results were also obtained with seeds stored for 1 or 90 days after coating (not shown).