PHYSIOLOGICAL AND MOLECULAR RESPONSE OF WHEAT TO SOIL-APPLIED ENCAPSULATED CALCIUM CARBIDE UNDER SALINITY STRESS

The objective of this study was to explore the potential of encapsulated calcium carbide (ECC) for improving performance of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) under salinity stress. Three levels of salinity, 0, 1250 and 2000 mg kg(-1) soil, were developed with sodium chloride (NaCl) salt, whereas ECC formulation was applied at 0, 15 and 30 mg kg(-1) soil. The gas chromatography (GC) analysis revealed that 30 mg kg(-1) soil of the formulation produced 154.12 mu mols of ethylene (C2H2) and 8.44 mu mols of C2H4 over a period of 60 days. The ECC decreased plant height, conductance (C), and transpiration (E) up to 7, 19 and 21%, respectively, over control. There was substantial elevation in net photosynthesis (Pn), number of tillers, grain yield and relative leaf water content (RWC) up to 14, 19, 17 and 3% with ECC over control. Both levels of ECC increased protein content significantly in wheat leaves up to 46 and 60% over control. Similarly, salinity increased the protein content up to 54 and 168% over control in the presence of ECC and salinity stress. SDS-PAGE protein profile of wheat leaves after the treatments of 15 mg ECC kg(-1) soil and 2000 mg NaCl kg(-1) soil showed a significant set of induced proteins of 8, 60 and 70 kDa. Similarly exposure of plants to 30 mg of ECC kg(-1) soil and 2000 mg NaCl kg(-1) soil resulted in the appearance of protein bands of 9, 10, 23 and 70 kDa. The induced levels of proteins detected at various levels of ECC and NaCl treatments correlated with its salinity tolerance.