Influence of silicon treatments on some growth, physiological and biochemical traits of five Egyptian wheat varieties

Abstract

In Egypt there is a big gap between production and consumption of wheat. Hydroponically experiment was conducted in a randomized complete block design with three replicates. The herein experiment was carried out to study the effect of silicon (Si) treatments (0, 25, 50 and 100 mg/L) on some growth parameters, physiological, biochemical traits, some nutrients and Si content on different plants parts in five Egyptian wheat varieties (Gemmeza 7, Gemmeza 9, Gemmeza 11, Masr 1 and Giza 168). The results showed enhancing in all studied parameters. Moreover, the best effect of Si was observed when plants treated with 25 mg/L than the other treatments and control. The plants showed an improve in growth parameters by increasing in shoot length, flag leaf area, fresh, dry weights of shoot and root. Chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, carotenoids, relative water content and membrane stability were higher in different wheat varieties treated compared to the control. The application of silicon had a biostimulative effect in some antioxidant enzymes and modulation inducible importance in polyphenol oxidase and proline in treated plants compared to control. Also, the plants treated by silicon showed increase of some nutrients content especially N, K, Ca, Mn, Cu and Fe, leading to increasing photosynthetic pigments content, flag leaf area, and amelioration of growth parameter. In conclusion, Si application could improve growth parameters, some nutrients content, and photosynthetic pigments content in five Egyptian wheat varieties.