APPLICATION OF PLANT GROWTH REGULATORS IN LENTILS FOR SALINITY STRESS ALLEVIATION

Soil salinity occurring in many regions of the world inhibits the yield of crops. The alleviation of salinity effect has been largely unsuccessful. We have investigated the effect of external applications of gibberellin, indole-3-acetic acid, kinetin, prohexadione-calcium and flurprimidol on the growth, proline and carbohydrate content, lipid peroxidation and quality of NaCl stressed lentil plants (Lens culinaris Me d i k.). Plant performance and quality indices were alleviated under the simultaneous supply of GA(3) or kinetin with NaCl, while prohex-Ca and high flurprimidol concentration in combination with salt enhanced stress. Seed proteins were significantly reduced in salt and flurprimidol 300 treated lentils, while the presence of kinetin had an ameliorative effect on their content. An increase in the membrane lipid peroxidation and H2O2 occurred after prohex-Ca, flurprimidol and NaCl treatment. We suggest that kinetin and GA(3) may provide an efficient antioxidant mechanism against salinity-induced oxidative stress, which protects the plant from damage.