The Impact of Minerals on Wheat Plants Grown under Salinity Stress

Abstract

The present work has been conducted to study the impact of Zn (20 and 200 μM) or Ni (1 and 100 μM) on growth, metabolic activities, osmotic pressure and heavy metal of wheat cultivar (cv. Gimiza 11) under salt stress conditions. Harvest index was significantly decreased by 75% at -0.3 MPa and -1.2 MPa decreased by 53%. Length of root, stem and spike, and leaf area were slightly reduced up to -0.9 MPa NaCl level, after that a significant reduction was recorded. Total sugar was increased in the shoot and spike, while decreased in the root with increasing salinity levels. On the other side, total protein was increased in the shoot while decreased in both the root and spike. Osmotic pressure was increased as increasing salinity levels. Treatment of wheat plants with Zn or Ni alleviated generally salt injury in the harvest index, length of root, shoot and spike and leaf area. This effect was more obvious with Zn treatments. Mineralization treatments increased total sugar in the three tested organs while did not change the total protein. Zn content was increased at -1.2 MPa level while Ni was decreased. Treatments with Zn or Ni mostly increased Zn while causing a reduction in the Ni content. These treatments also increased the values of osmotic pressure compared with the equivalent levels of control plants.