Effect of NaCl Salt Stress on Germination and Seedling Growth of Black Gram (Vigna mungo)

Abstract

Background: Dehulled and split seeds of black gram (Vigna mungo) are used in the preparation of several dishes all over India. Salt stress is a troublesome issue in the arid and semi-dry areas and is seen as a critical constraint for growth and yield. It is very sensitive to salt especially during the seedling stage. Hence, a study was conducted to assess the impact of salt stress induced with NaCl on the germination and seedling growth of black gram. Methods: The different levels of salt concentration (20 ppm, 40 ppm, 60 ppm, 80 ppm) were prepared in the laboratory. Selected black gram (ADT-6) seeds were sown in small poly pots (soil, sand and farmyard manure at 1:1:1 ratio) with 3 replications and irrigated with a respective dose of saline water. The distilled water (0 ppm) was used as a control. The germination (%), shoot length (cm) and root length (cm) in the black gram were recorded after two weeks. The inhibition effect was studied by the response index (RI) method. Result: Increase in salt concentration diminished seed germination percentage, shoot length and root length of seedling and vigor index in black gram. Further, the response index indicated that all the salt concentration treatments had negative values.