Iftikhar Khalaf Abbas Aga*(1)
(1). Faculty of Agriculture, AlFurat University, Deir Ezzor, Syria.
(*Corresponding author: Dr. Iftikhar Khalaf Abbas Aga. E-Mail: iftekharabbas55555@gmail.com).
Received: 31/10/2019 Accepted: 01/07/2020
Abstract
The salinity in arid and semi-arid regions is one of the most important problems that negatively affect plant growth and development, especially at the germination and seedling stages. An experiment was carried out in pots at the laboratories of the Field Crops Department at the Faculty of Agricultural Engineering in Deir Ezzor/Euphrates University during 2016/2017 agricultural season. Therefore, the study aimed to know the role of gibberellic acid in increasing the efficiency of germination and growth of yellow corn seeds (Zea mays L.) cultivar (Ghouta-82) under saline stress. The first treatment was the use of saline with different concentrations of sodium chloride (5000, 6000, 7000 and 8000) mg/l, in addition to the treatment of soaking with distilled water (control), and the treatment of soaking the seeds with gibberlic acid GA3 (300) mg/l. The experiment was laid out according to the completely randomized design, with three replications. The number of pots was (30), where each pot represents a treatment. The results showed significant differences in the effect of sodium chloride concentration on all studied characteristics (germination percentage, germination strength, seedlings and root length, leaf area and total chlorophyll) which decreased by 74.33, 76.53, 60.23, 42.34.11, 78.86, 59 and 81)%, respectively, also, there was a significant increase in the period required for germination, and the percentage of (K +) / (Na +) by (61.25 and 61.11)% in the treatment with a concentration of (8000) compared to the treatment of the control (distilled water), in addition to a significant decrease in the treatment of soaking the seeds with GA3 at a concentration of (300) mg/L for both; germination speed and (K + / (Na +) ratio of (28.57 and 23.63)%, respectively, and a significant increase in germination indicators was noticed, where strength, seedlings and rootstock length, (K + / (Na +) ratio, leaf area and total chlorophyll by (16.66, 61.87, 39.13, 66.67, 72.02 and 75.48)%, respectively, compared with the treatment of non-soaking seeds with GA3. Also, the results showed a significant effect of the interaction between salt concentrations and soaking the seeds with GA3 on the one hand, and on the other hand between salt concentration and soaking the seeds with distilled water (control) on all studied traits of yellow corn, cultivar (Ghouta-82).
Key words: Sodium chloride, Gibberellic Acid, Growth traits, Yellow corn, (Al Ghutah – 82).