Effect of Different Seed Priming Treatments on Growth and Nutrients Uptake in Wheat (Triticum aestivum) under Salt Stress

Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is highly significant among the cereals being cultivated more than any other marketable crop in the world. The high temperature, drought and soil salinity are major abiotic factors in reducing its productivity by altering certain biochemical and physiological responses. Different technologies are being utilized to enhance the tolerance of plants to grow in salt-hit areas. However, seed priming with different temperatures and chemicals is a cost effective technology which may improve seed performance and seedling establishment of field crops in saline soils. Therefore, seeds of two wheat varieties (Punjab 2011 and FSD-08) were primed with distilled water, chilling (5 degrees C), heating (60 degrees C) and sodium chloride (150 mM) then primed and non-primed seeds were grown at 150 mM NaCl for 42 days under Hoagland's nutrient solution (1/2 strength) in pots containing sand with completely randomized design (CRD). Results showed under saline conditions (150 mM) the shoot length (15 and 13%), root length (22.8 and 17.2%), shoot fresh weight (18 and 18%), root fresh weight (27 and 34%), shoot dry weight (12.8 and 11.4%), root dry weight (30 and 31%), shoot calcium (53.8 and 57.1%), root calcium (37.2 and 41.6%), shoot phosphorus (40 and 29.2%), root phosphorus (34.7 and 33.2%) shoot potassium (33.3 and 31.7%), root potassium (65 and 52.1%) and shoot nitrogen (22.9 and 27.8%), root nitrogen (16.1 and 21.8%) were decreased in Punjab 20 11 and FSD-08 respectively. However, less decrease were observed in plants raised from seeds primed with 150 mM NaCl grown under saline (150 mM) and non-saline (0 mM) environments as compared to other priming treatments in both FSD-08 and Punjab 2011 wheat varieties. The sodium contents and total free amino acids were increased in salt stress in both varieties of wheat. Punjab 2011 showed better behavior as compared to FSD-08 both in saline and non-saline medium. (C) 2019 Friends Science Publishers