INDUCTION OF DROUGHT TOLERANCE IN WHEAT THROUGH NUTRIENT AND HYDRO PRIMING

Abstract

The experiment was conducted under the laboratory condition of the Department of Agronomy, Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, Dhaka from August 2019 to July 2020 to investigate the effect of seed priming on germination behaviour, growth parameters and water relation behaviours of wheat (BARI Gom 30) under drought stress condition. In the 1 st experiment seeds of wheat were surface sterilized with 75% alcohol for 5 minutes. Wheat seeds of BARI Gom 30 was pre-soaked in 0%, 1%, 2%, 3% and 4% KCI solution, distilled water for 9hrs and untreated seeds were used as control treatment. Results showed that seeds priming induces the germination percentage, growth parameters (seedling fresh weight, root length, shoot length, shoot dry weight, root dry weight and vigour index) and water relation behaviours (relative water content, water retention capacity, water saturation deficit) of wheat. The highest germination percentage (98%), root and shoot length (175.55mm and 162.34mm), plant fresh weight (276.40mg), root and shoot dry weight (17.81mg and 13.48), vigour index (331.57), water retention capacity (19.40%), relative water content (92.80%) were obtained from seeds treated with 2% KCI and then gradually decrease with increasing KCI concentration. Highest water saturation deficit (18.00%) was obtained from control seeds and lowest was obtained from seeds treated with 2% KCI. In 2 nd experiment primed (2% KCI for 9hrs), hydro primed (distilled water for 9hrs) and non-primed seeds were treated under drought stress condition induced by 0%, 5%, 10%, 15% and 20% PEG solution. Seeds treated with 2% KCI showed better result compared to hydro priming and control (non-primed) seeds up to 10% PEG concentrations in all parameters and this value decreased with increasing concentrations of PEG solution. Hydro priming also showed better result than nonprimed

seeds in all parameters but not better than 2% KCI priming solution. So, seeds primed with 2% KCI and distilled water showed the better performance compared to nonprimed seeds under drought stress condition. The result suggested that seeds primed with

2%

KCI for 9 hrs considered as best priming concentration for inducing drought tolerance in wheat seeds in germination behaviour and all related growth parameters.