IRON CHELATED LYSINE: A PROMISING NUTRIENT COMPLEX TO IMPROVE WHEAT (TRITICUM AESTIVUM L.) GROWTH UNDER WATER DEFICIT ENVIRONMENT

Water deficiency, one of the major consequences of global climate change has threatened the plant growth and productivity in many parts of the world. Among different strategies being used to combat the negative effects of water deficiency on plants, exogenous application of growth regulators has emerged an effective shotgun approach. The current study has been conducted to find out whether as well as upto what extant foliar application of lysine, iron sulphate and iro-lysine complex is helpful in reducing the negative effects of water deficiency on wheat. Four levels (0.01, 0.1, 1.0 and10 mM) of each of mentioned growth regulators along with control were applied on two wheat genotypes, FSD=08 and BARS-09 under water deficit environment. The results revealed that foliar application of plant growth regulators significantly reduced the negative effects of water deficit on plant growth related attributes, like plant fresh as well as dry matter, above ground plant height, tiller and leaves. Application of all the three compounds also helped plants to maintain leaf relative water contents. Foliar supply of iron-lysine complex proved to be more useful in mitigating negative effects of water deficit on growth and water relation attributes of wheat than lysine or iron sulphate. Moreover, application of 10 mM iron-lysine complex showed more positive effects on plant growth and water relation related attribute than all other levels used in the study.