Plant Stress
Masoomeh Amerian; Gholamreza Gohari; Saeid Jalali-Honarmand; Sima Panahirad; Georgia Ntatsi
Abstract
Purpose: Salinity stress is one of the most important limiting factors affecting all plant processes, from seed germination to seedling development and plant growth. Seed priming is the most promising seed technique which quickens the germination process and enhances stand establishment. Therefore, seed ...
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Purpose: Salinity stress is one of the most important limiting factors affecting all plant processes, from seed germination to seedling development and plant growth. Seed priming is the most promising seed technique which quickens the germination process and enhances stand establishment. Therefore, seed priming with allantoin and serotonin was performed to investigate their effects on germination and growth of bitter melon seeds under salt. Research method: The experiment was conducted as a factorial experiment in a completely randomized design with three replications. The first factor consisted of three concentrations of salinity (0, 50 and 100 mM NaCl) and the second factor included seed priming (48 h) with modulators: control (distilled water), allantoin (1000 μM), serotonin (100 µM) and allantoin + serotonin. After 48 h of applying the priming treatments, the seeds were dried and placed in 9 cm diameter petri dishes lined with filter paper, moistened with the prepared salt solutions, and allowed to germinate at 25 °C. Germination percentage, seed vigor and selected growth characteristics including length, fresh and dry weight of seedling, shoot and root of bitter melon were evaluated. Findings: The results revealed that seed germination and seedling growth of bitter melon decreased in line with increasing salt concentrations: on the other hand, seed priming with allantoin (1000 μM) and serotonin (100 µM) alleviated this negative effect of salt stress. It was concluded that allantoin and serotonin, as seed priming agents, positively influenced bitter melon germination under salt stress. These findings may also be applicable to other plants and probably the observed stress tolerance might occur throughout the plant growth period. Research limitations: No limitations were identified. Originality/Value: Given the medicinal value of bitter melon, solving its germination problem, especially under salt stress conditions, will be of great help to those interested in cultivating this plant.
Medicinal Plants
Masoomeh Amerian; Mahmud Khoramivafa; Amir Palangi; Golamreza Gohari; Georgia Ntatsi
Abstract
Purpose: This research has investigated the effect of different levels of nitrogen and selenium on some growth and physiological characteristics of garlic leaves. Research method: This research was done as a factorial in the form of randomized complete blocks in 3 replications. The first factor included ...
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Purpose: This research has investigated the effect of different levels of nitrogen and selenium on some growth and physiological characteristics of garlic leaves. Research method: This research was done as a factorial in the form of randomized complete blocks in 3 replications. The first factor included four levels of nitrogen (0, 50, 100, and 150 kg ha-1) and the second factor included three levels of selenium (0, 5, and 10 mgL-1). Findings: In all four nitrogen levels, with increasing selenium concentration, plant height (69.66 cm), fresh weight (10.66 g m2), and dry weight (51.33 g m2) of leaf increased. The highest amount of photosynthetic pigments was observed in the treatment of 150 kg ha-1 of nitrogen along with 10 mg L-1 of sodium selenate. Nitrogen and selenium increased antioxidant capacity (45.69 μmol g-1FW), total phenol (295.60 mg 100 g-1FW) and ascorbic acid (18.30 mg 100 g-1FW). Contrary to selenium, nitrogen increased the amount of allicin in garlic leaf, and the highest amount of allicin (0.33 mgmL-1) was in the treatment of 150 kg ha-1 of nitrogen along with 0 mgL-1 of sodium selenate. The maximum plant height and wet and dry weight of the leaf were observed in the treatments of selenium and nitrogen, which shows the positive effect of both elements on increasing the amount of chlorophyll synthesis and, as a result increasing the amount of photosynthesis and carbon fixation, which ultimately will have, increasing the growth rate of garlic plant. Research limitations: None were found to report. Originality/Value: As a result, the treatment of 150 kg ha-1 of nitrogen along with 10 mgL-1 of sodium selenate is recommended to increase the antioxidant compounds of garlic leaf, which is a good source of these compounds and selenium in early spring, which also plays an essential role in human health.
