Growth Responses of Secale cereale and S. ceremont to Priming Treatments under Salinity Stress

Abstract

Soil salinity affects a large part of the region in Iran. Salinity covers 12.5% of<br />total area of the country. Priming of seeds in sodium chloride and water (hydro-priming)<br />has been reported to be a simple technique for enhancing the seedling establishment and<br />germination performance in the seeds of many crops and small seeded grasses under the<br />stress conditions. Therefore, the aim of this research was to study the effects of halo- and<br />hydro-priming on Secale cereale and S. ceremont growth response under NaCl induced<br />salinity stress conditions. Seeds of S. cereale and S. ceremont were immersed in sterile<br />distilled water (hydro-priming). For the halo-priming treatments, concentrations of 125,<br />250 and 500 mm of sodium chloride were prepared. This experiment was carried out in<br />three levels (0, 100 and 200 mm) of salinity stress. The means comparison indicates that<br />the seedling traits of both species are significantly affected by both halopriming and<br />hydropriming. In both species of Secale, all the traits were decreased significantly by<br />increasing salt stress levels so that the most reduction of all the traits was observed at the<br />highest level of salinity stress concentration as compared to the control. Increasing NaCl<br />concentration in halopriming treatment solution significantly reduced all the traits in both<br />species so that the most reduction of all traits was observed at the highest level of salinity<br />stress concentration as compared to the control. S. cereale and S. ceremont appear to be<br />poor salt-tolerant. Halo-priming in the S. ceremont with the concentratios of 125 and 250<br />mmol for 24h at the highest level of salt stress showed the alleviation of detrimental effects<br />of salinity. Halo-priming somewhat in the S. ceremont was suggested in the areas with high<br />salinity to increase the efficiency of species.