EFFECT OF SALINITY STRESS ON SEED GERMINATION AND SEEDLING GROWTH OF SOME CROPS

Abstract

The effect of five artificia soil salinity levels (0.2, 0.4, 0.6, 0.8 and 1.0%) on seed germination, fresh and dry weight of seedling and N, P, K, Ca, Mg and Na contents as well as its uptake by cotton, wheat, barley , faba been and tomato seedlings were studied. The obtained results could be summarized as follows: The mean values of germination percentages were progressivity and significantly decreased as the level of salinity was increased. On the contrary of this trend; the calculated mean values of germination time (MGT) were increased with increasing the salinity levels. The highest salinity level used (1.0%), the long time required to complete the germination process. In addition, germination performance index (GPI) was calculated to integrate mean time to germination performance. The highest value of GPI as affected by salinity levels investigated was obtained from crop seeds in low salinity level of 0.2%. Increasing the level of salinity from 0.2 to 1.0%, significantly reduced the average values of fresh and dry weight of crop seedlings. - Total N, P and K % contents in the seedlings of all crops under study were significantly decreased as the level of salinity was increased and the same trend was realized for the uptake of these nutrients by the seedling of these crops. - Increasing the level of salinity from 0.2, 0.4, 0.6, 0.8 up to 1.0% significantly increased the concentration of Ca, Mg and Na% in the seedling of the investigated crop. Such effect was happened for the uptake of these nutrients by the seedling of all crops. - From the results mention: the ability of these plants on resistance of salinity stress can be arranged as barley than cotton than wheat than tomato and lastly faba been