Alleviation of osmotic stress of water and salt in germination and seedling growth of triticale with seed priming treatments

Effects of seed priming treatments with 0.5% KH2PO4 (w/v) solution and water were determined on germination and seedling characters of hexaploid triticale (Triticosecale Witm., cv. Presto) in different osmotic potential of NaCl and PEG solutions. Drought and salt osmotic stress conditions were separately created by using PEG 6000 and NaCl, respectively, at different osmotic potentials (-0.45, -0.77, -1.03 and -1.44 MPa and control). At the equivalent osmotic potential, the effects of PEG 6000 were more harmful than NaCl on germination and seedling stage. Germination percentage and seedling growth and also relative water content (RWC, %) decreased with the decrease in osmotic potential of PEG 6000 and NaCl. But root-to-shoot length ratios increased with the effects of osmotic stress of PEG 6000 and NaCl. Despite the negative effects of two stress conditions, the two priming treatments were effective in improving germination percentage and seedling growth in Presto. But seed primed treatment was effective at the lowest osmotic potentials; therefore, seedling growth survived at the highest concentrations. Consequently, the effect of hydropriming is very pronounced particularly in improving germination and seedling growth in low stress.