INTERACTIVE EFFECT OF FOLIAR APPLICATION OF NITRIC OXIDE (NO) AND SALINITY ON WHEAT (TRITICUM AESTIVUM L.)

The present experiment was conducted to assess the interactive effect of foliar application of nitric oxide (NO) and salinity on wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). Wheat cv. S-24 was grown under non-stressed or salt stressed conditions (0 and 150 mM NaCl). Different levels of NO (water spray, 0.05, 0.10 and 0.15 mM) were applied as a foliar spray. Salinity applied through rooting medium significantly reduced growth attributes while foliar applied NO was found to be effective in amelioration of adverse effects of salt stress on growth parameters. Application of NO caused an increase in shoot fresh weight under non-saline or saline conditions. Photosynthetic rate of cultivar increased due to foliarly applied NO both under control and saline conditions. Furthermore, increase in growth due to exogenously applied NO may have been due to changes in photosynthesis. However, NO applied as a foliar spray did not change the sub-stomatal CO2 concentration suggesting that stomtal factors were not the major controlling factors for photosynthesis. However, photosystem-II activity in our experiment did not change by foliar spray of NO. Overall, the adverse effects of salt stress could be alleviated by exogenous application of NO.