PJB-2022-432
Assessing varietal potential and ameliorating effect of ZnSO4 levels in different bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) genotypes under salinity stress
Tasawar Ali
Abstract
Salinity stress is one of the most threatening abiotic stresses to agricultural crop production and food security. Plants undergo different types of metabolic stress and nutrient imbalance under salinity stress environment including zinc deficiency. The purpose was to investigate the ameliorative role of Zn in wheat during salinity stress by bringing more land under cultivation to improve wheat grain. A hydroponic experiment was performed to assess the rectifying effect of increased doses of zinc from recommended dose in different salinity levels i.e., moderate to strong salinity. Two doses of zinc (2 mM, 4 mM) and two levels of NaCl (70 mM, 140 mM) along with control were used to screen the twelve genotypes of wheat. Salinity stress decreased the growth parameters i.e., shoot and root length, fresh and dry biomass maximum up to 45% when the recommended dose of zinc was applied. Increasing the dose of zinc improved the growth attributes of seedling up to 21% under moderate to strongly saline conditions. In the same way, high doses of zinc increased the RWC, MSI and K+ concentration up to 24%, 17% and 45% respectively decreasing the Na+ conc. in plant aerial parts up to 27%. K+ ion conc. was increased by increasing the zinc application rate showing synergistic effect of Zn with K+, was improved by increasing the zinc dose showing increasing the tolerance of seedling against salinity stress. Two varieties i.e., Faisalabad-08 and Sehar-06 performed the best in terms of salinity tolerance and zinc use efficiency under saline conditions. It was concluded that by using the salt tolerant varieties and increasing the zinc dose from the recommended levels can ameliorate the deleterious effect of salinization and help the crops to improve.
To Cite this article:
Download
