Effect of Salicylic Acid and Ethephon on Seed Germination and Seedling Growth of Wheat under Salt Stress

Subject Areas : Journal of Crop Ecophysiology

Soheyla  Shakeri ¹ (Graduate Student, Department of Biology, Neyshabur Branch, Islamic Azad University, Neyshabur, Iran)
Fatemeh  Saeid Nematpour ² (Assistant professor, Department of Biology, Neyshabur Branch, Islamic Azad University, Neyshabur, Iran)
Akbar  Safipour Afshar ³ (Assistant professor, Department of Biology, Neyshabur Branch, Islamic Azad University, Neyshabur, Iran)

Received: 2015-08-16 Accepted : 2016-09-13 Published : 2016-10-22

Keywords: germination, Salinity, Proline, ethylene, &alpha, -amylase, cereals,

Abstract :

Water or soil salinities are the most important factors that reduce the seed germination of plants. Ethephon can break seed dormancy in a variety of plants, such as cereals and speeds up germination. In some plants pretreatment of seeds with salicylic acid has increased the germination percentage. To study effect of salicylic acid and ethephon on seed germination of wheat (Seivand cultivar) under salinity condition a factorial experiment in a completely randomized design with three replications was conducted at the Plant Research Laboratory of Neyshabur Branch of Islamic Azad University in 2011. Four salinity levels (0, 50, 100, 150 mM), three salicylic acid levels (0, 0.5, 1 mM) and four ethephon levels (0, 0.5, 1, 2 mM) were used. The results showed that at salinity condition seed germination rate and percentage, shoot and root length, their dry weight and α-amylase activity decreased and proline content increased. Pretreatment of seeds by salicylic acid increased seed germination percentage, some growth parameters, α-amylase activity and proline content under salinity condition. Moreover, pretreatment of seeds by ethephon decreased some growth parameters and increased proline content but its effect on germination and α-amylase activity were not significant. It seems that Salicylic acid as a plant growth regulator under salinity condition and ethephon convertion to ethylene, activated plant tolerance mechanisms to salinity condition and decrease damaging effect of salinity on seed germination and seedling growth of wheat.

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