Is pre-sowing seed treatment with triacontanol effective in improving some physiological and biochemical attributes of wheat (<em>Triticum aestivum</em> L.) under salt stress?

Authors

  • Shagufta Perveen
  • Muhammad Shahbaz
  • Muhammad Ashraf

Abstract

In this study, seed-priming of two wheat cultivars S-24 and MH-97 was carried out with three triacontanol (TRIA) levels (0, 10 and 20 μM) for 12 h. Seeds pre-treated with TRIA were allowed to grow for 24 days in full strength Hoagland’s nutrient solution in a greenhouse, thereafter two salt treatments (0 and 150 mM NaCl) were applied and after 21 days of salt application, changes in growth attributes such as shoot and root dry weights, shoot and root lengths and total leaf area, leaf water relations such as water potential (Ψw), osmotic potential (Ψs), turgor potential (Ψp) and relative water contents (%), membrane permeability (%), total free amino acids, free proline, glycinebetaine and total phenolic contents were determined. Yield attributes such as 100-seed weight, total grain yield, number of grains and number of fertile tillers per plant were recorded at crop maturity. Salinity stress of 150 mM NaCl significantly caused reduction in all growth and yield attributes, leaf water relations except leaf turgor potential, while increased membrane permeability (%), leaf free proline, glycinebetaine and total free amino acids in both cultivars. Total phenolics and relative water contents (%) remained unaffected under salt stress. Pre-sowing seed treatment with TRIA did not mitigated the adverse effects of salt stress on wheat and thus could not prove to be effective to promote signifi cantly its growth, yield and other physiological and biochemical attributes (except leaf water potential of cultivar MH-97) under stress and non-stress conditions. Overall, performance of cultivar S-24 was better in growth, leaf water relations and free proline contents as compared to MH-97 under both non-saline and saline conditions.

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Published

2012-10-16