Effects of Sodium Bicarbonate Stress on Seed Germination and Seedling Growth of Mustard (Brassica campestris L.)

Abstract

Numerous stresses cause negative impacts on crops and salinity-alkalinity plays a significant role in these stresses that harm the crops and their production. Sodium bicarbonate is an alkaline salt that also affects crops. The present experiment was performed to study the impacts of seed germination and early seedling growth of mustard under various NaHCO3 salt treatments. This experiment was a completely randomized design, and seeds of mustard were sown in petridishes lined with Whatman No. 1 filter paper in triplicates. Different concentrations (0, 2.5, 5.0, 7.5, and 10.0 mM) of NaHCO3 salt solution were used to moisten the filter papers. The control (0 mM) treatment was applied using distilled water. The seedlings were measured on the fourteenth day of sowing. The outcomes demonstrated that the germination percentage declined significantly at sodium bicarbonate salt treatments (5.0, 7.5, and 10.0 mM), while the % DFC for germination was found to be increased with increasing salt levels. In various salt (2.5, 5.0, 7.5, and 10.0 mM) concentrations, there was a significant reduction got in seedling growth, as assessed by the seedling vigor index, length of seedlings, and fresh weight of seedlings. The percentage of phytotoxicity increased while the tolerance index dropped with salt treatments. The dry weight of shoot and whole seedlings was also inhibited significantly by salt treatments (2.5, 5.0, 7.5, and 10.0 mM), and root dry weight got a significant reduction at (5.0, 7.5, and 10.0 mM) levels of salt treatments.