SEED TREATMENT TO OVERCOME SALT AND DROUGHT STRESSES DURING GERMINATION IN SAFFLOWER (CARTHAMUS TINCTORIUS L.)

Although safflower is drought and salt tolerant, it is susceptible to drought and salinity at the germination and seedling stages. Priming techniques have been used to overcome salinity and drought tolerance at germination stage. Osmopriming potassium nitrate (KNO3) and hydropriming were used to determine drought [by polyethylene glycol (PEG)-6000 at water potentials of 0, -0.3 and -0.6 MPa] and salt electrical conductivity (EC) (values of the sodium chloride (NaCl) solutions were 0, 6 and 12 ds.m(-1)) tolerance of primed seeds of safflower. Germination index, shoot/root ration, germination uniformity, days to 50% germination (D50) and abnormal germination percentage were measured. Treatment 0f seeds with hydropriming increased germination index, shoot/root ration and germination uniformity, while decrease days to 50% germination under salt and water stress. Seed treated with KNO3 reduced abnormal germination percentage in salt stress. KNO3 improved germination uniformity and germination index of the low water potentials. As salinity increased, germination index and shoot/root ration were decreased, while germination uniformity, days to 50% germination and abnormal germination percentage were increased. Hydropriming enhanced germination under both salt and drought stresses and non-stress conditions. Therefore, hydropriming could be used to improved seed performance of safflower under saline and drought stress. This treatment dose not needs expensive chemicals or sophisticated equipment.