Effect of elicitors on growth, biochemical and antioxidant activity in two varieties of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) under drought

Abstract

The study investigated the effect of different elicitors on two varieties of Triticum aestivum (10 days old seedlings) under drought stress. The growth of plants along with various biochemical and antioxidant parameters was determined on 5th, 10th and 15th day of drought stress. Six varieties of wheat viz. RAJ-4120, RAJ-4079, RAJ-3077, RAJ-4238, RAJ-4037 and RAJ-3765 were treated with different elicitors i.e. sodium nitroprusside (0.5mM), salicylic acid (10mM) and silver nitrate (10mM) for six hours before sowing and exposed to drought stress. Chemically primed seeds were sown in pots containing soil along with hydro primed seeds which were not pretreated with any chemical and were used as control. The results indicated that in all the control plants, growth of the seedlings increased with time. In drought stressed seedlings the growth was less than the control plants. Seedlings pretreated with sodium nitroprusside showed the highest growth, biochemical and antioxidant activity. Under drought stress also these parameters were higher in sodium nitroprusside pretreated plants when compared to stressed plants having no pretreatment.