Document Type : Research Article
Authors
Department of Plant Production and Genetics, Faculty of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Mohaghegh Ardabili, Ardabil, Iran
10.22067/jcesc.2024.89032.1340
Abstract
Introduction
Water deficit is one of the most common limiting factors the yield of crop plants in arid and semi arid regions. Water limitation causes significant changes in some physiological traits of crop plants. It decreases chlorophyll content, current photosynthesis and contribution of current photosynthesis in grain yield, but at the majority of cases, water deficit increases compatible osmolytes and the contribution of dry matter remobilization in grain yield. Several strategies have been proposed to increase the resistance of crops against water limitation. Among them, application of vermicompost and silicon improve the performance of crop plants under water deficit conditions. Therefore, the aim of this research was to study the influence of silicon and vermicompost on contents of photosynthetic pigments, compatible osmolytes and dry matter remobilization in grain yield of rye (Secale cereal L.) under water deficit conditions
Materials and methods
A factorial experiment was conducted in 2023 using a RCBD with three replications under the greenhouse conditions. The treatments were irrigation levels (full irrigation during growth period as control, irrigation withholding at 50% of booting stage (BBCH 43) until the end of growing season as severe water deficit and irrigation withholding at 50% of heading stage (BBCH 55) until the end of growing season as moderate water deficit) and application of nano silicon and vermicompost at four levels (no application as control, application of nano silicon, vermicompost, vermicompost with nanosilicon). The rye cultivar ‘ardabil local’ was used in pots with 13 kg of soil and a diameter of 40 cm. Application of Si was done in growth stages of BBCH 21 and 30. In all treatments, two weeks after irrigation withholding at heading stage or 135 days after planting, physiological and biochemical traits such as content of chlorophyll a, b, total chlorophyll, content of soluble sugars and proline, dry matter remobilization from shoots, contribution of remobilization in grain yield, contribution of stem reserves in grain yield, current photosynthesis, contribution of current photosynthesis to grain yield, soluble sugar, anthocyanin and proline content were determined. Dry matter remobilization from shoots and stem and contribution of current photosynthesis to grain yield were mesured by method of Inoue et al (2004).
Results and discussion
The results showed that under severe water deficit, there were an increase about 23 and 20.5% in content of proline and anthocyanin respectively in comparison to no application of nano silicon and vermicompost under the same level of irrigation levels. Also, there was an increase of 109.9% in current photosynthesis under full irrigation and both application of vermicompost and nanosilicon in compared to no application of vermicompost and nanosilicon under severe water limitation. There was an increase of 63.7, 56.9 and 61.8 in chlorophyll a, b content, total chlorophyll, under full irrigation and both application of vermicompost and nanosilicon in compared to no application of vermicompost and nanosilicon under severe water limitation. Content of soluble sugars increased about 21.3 under irrigation withholding at booting stage in compared to full irrigation. Similar results were obtained in this trait in application of nanosilicon and vermicompost in comparison to no application of them. Maximum of dry matter remobilization from shoots (0.935 g per plant), contribution of remobilization in grain yield (45.6%) and contribution of stem reserves in grain yield (37.43%) were obtained in no application of vermicompost and nanosilicon under irrigation withholding at booting stage, which there was an increase 7.5, 15.4 and 19.8% respectively in comparison with both applications of vermicompost and nanosilicon under the same level of irrigation.
Conclusion
Generally, it can be suggested that irrigation withholding at booting decreased about 29.9% from grain yield in comparison with full irrigation but both application of vermicompost and nanosilicon compensated about 6.6% of yield reduction under irrigation withholding at booting stage. Therefore, with considering of the results of this study, it can be stated that both application of vermicompost and nanosilicon due to the improvement of current photosynthesis and the enhancement in compatible osmolytes, prevents from the reduction of grain yield of rye under water limitation conditions.
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