PROLINE TREATMENT INDUCES SALT STRESS TOLERANCE IN MAIZE (ZEA MAYS L. CV. SAFAID AFGOI)

A pot experiment was performed to assess the effect of proline as seed treatment on maize (Zea mays L.) under salt stress. Seeds of maize cultivar (cv.) Safaid Afgoi were soaked in different proline solutions (0.0, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, and 2.0 mM) for 12 hours. Salt treatment (0 and 75 mM NaCl) was applied to one week old maize seedlings. Data was taken of 21 day old maize plants for the determination of different growth and physiochemical parameters. Salt stress inhibited most of the growth attributes and decreased ratio of chlorophyll a to chl. b, while increased chl. b and total soluble proteins and malondialdehyde (MDA) contents in maize plants. Seed treatment with proline increased shoot length significantly and chlorophyll a non-significantly, while all other attributes remained unaffected of maize plants under salt stress. In conclusion, proline show differential response in increasing growth by regulating different physiochemical parameters not only in different plant species but also under diverse environmental conditions.