Gibberellic acid and nitrogen efficiently protect early seedlings growth stage from salt stress damage in Sorghum

Adam Yousif Adam Ali,Guisheng Zhou,Muhi Eldeen Hussien Ibrahim,Nimir Eltyb Ahmed Nimir,Guanglong Zhu,Aboagla Mohammed Ibrahim Elsiddig,Xiurong Jiao,Mohamed Suliman Eltyeb Suliman Suliman,Safiya Babiker Mustafa Elradi,Ebtehal Gabralla Ibrahim Salih

doi:10.1038/s41598-021-84713-9

Abstract

Salinity one of environmental factor that limits the growth and productivity of crops. This research was done to investigate whether GA3 (0, 144.3, 288.7 and 577.5 μM) and nitrogen fertilizer (0, 90 and 135 kg N ha−1) could mitigate the negative impacts of NaCl (0, 100, and 200 mM NaCl) on emergence percentage, seedling growth and some biochemical parameters. The results showed that high salinity level decreased emergence percentage, seedling growth, relative water content, chlorophyll content (SPAD reading), catalase (CAT) and peroxide (POD), but increased soluble protein content, superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity and malondialdehyde (MDA) content. The SOD activity was decreased by nitrogen. However, the other measurements were increased by nitrogen. The interactive impact between nitrogen and salinity was significant in most parameters except EP, CAT and POD. The seedling length, dry weight, fresh weight, emergence percentage, POD, soluble protein and chlorophyll content were significantly affected by the interaction between GA3 and salinity. The GA3 and nitrogen application was successful mitigating the adverse effects of salinity. The level of 144.3 and 288.7 μm GA3 and the rate of 90 and 135 kg N ha−1 were most effective on many of the attributes studied. Our study suggested that GA3 and nitrogen could efficiently protect early seedlings growth from salinity damage.

Highlights

Salinity is an essential environmental stress that affects plant growth and causes limitations of crop production in the desert and semi-desert areas in the world[3,4]
The ANOVA table indicated that salinity, nitrogen, gibberellic acid and their interactions produced different effects on most parameters, including seedling emergence percentage, seedling growth characteristics, relative water content, chlorophyll content (SPAD reading), protein content, the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxide (POD), catalase (CAT), and malondialdehyde (MDA) content (Table 1)
In the interaction between nitrogen and gibberellic acid, the highest Emergence percentage (EP) (84.44%) value was determined on the interaction between 135 kg N ha−1 with 288.7 μM G A3, while the lowest emergence percentage value was recorded at the 0 kg N ha−1 with 288.7 μM GA3

Summary

Introduction

Salinity is an essential environmental stress that affects plant growth and causes limitations of crop production in the desert and semi-desert areas in the world[3,4]. Salinity stress can significantly inhibit germination and seedling growth, decrease many physiological processes and reduce crop productivity by causing osmotic stress and/or toxicity of ions as well as by reducing the uptake of important ions such as calcium and potassium[6]. Salinity stress affect all growth stages, but germination and early seedling stage are known to be more sensitive to salinity, causing significantly inhibited germination and seedling growth and decreased crop productivity through osmotic stress and ion toxicity such as Na+ and Cl−, as well as throught reduced absorption of important nutrients such as Ca+2 and K+6,9. Many investigations have revealed that the treatment of exogenous gibberellic acid ( GA3) can significantly increase seed germination, increase the salt tolerance of seeds, and mitigate the inhibition of salt on seedling growth[13,14]

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion