PARTIAL RELIEF OF SALT -STRESSED WHEAT (TRITICUM AESTIVUM L.) IN RESPONSE TO FOLIAR-APPLIED BLACK CUMIN SEED EXTRACT

Agribusiness is known as the backbone of developing Nation's economy like Pakistan which is directly or indirectly connected to it. Efficiency of agriculture has been reduced in last decade because of natural disasters in ecology. Among which top recorded factors are salinity and drought stress. Salinity has various impacts on plants that changed general growth attributes, metabolic processes and so forth. In this experiment, attempt has been done to study the effect of foliar applied Nigella Saliva seeds extract (NSE) on wheat varieties (Gold 2016, Millat 2011, Pirsabak 2015 and N-N Gandum-1) by growing in saline soil (0, 75 and 150mM NaC1). Morphological and biochemical results showed that salinity reduced growth attributes, chlorophyll contents, proline, Glycine betaine (GB) as well as K+ and Ca' ions. While, increase in Hydrogen peroxide (H202), Malondialdehyde (MDA), Na+ and Cl ions was recorded in all wheat varieties. Foliar treatment of NSE increased growth attributes, chlorophyll a and b contents, proline, GB and K+, Ca' ions while, H202, MDA and Nat, Cl- ions were decreased. Of different levels of foliar applied NSE, 150mM was found best to reduce salinity level in all wheat varieties. Of all wheat varieties Gold 2016 performed better as compared to all other wheat varieties.