Effect of Salicylic Acid Priming on Some Morpho-physiologic Characteristics

Document Type : Research Article

Authors

• A Pak mehr
• M Rastgoo
• F Shekari
• J Saba
• I Zangani

10.22067/gsc.v9i4.13238

Abstract

Effects of seed priming by salicylic acid on some morpho-physiologic characteristics and yield of cowpea
(Vigna unguiculata L.) cultivar “Parastou” was investigated under water deficit. Experiment was conducted as a
split block design with 3 replications in 2008-2009 at Research Farm of Zanjan University. Factors were
including drought stress as a main factor in 2 levels (irrigation, water deficit at flowering stage) and priming with
salicylic acid rates as a sub factor (0, 900, 1800, 2700, 3600μM). Analysis of variance showed that irrigation had
a significant effect on all characteristic except plant height but effect of salicylic acid was significant on all
characteristic. Mean comparison showed that relative water content, biomass and seed yield decreased in water
deficit condition compared with irrigation condition, whereas proline content and leaf soluble carbohydrate
content increased under water deficit. These traits increased in seeds priming with salicylic acid except leaf
soluble carbohydrate content compared with untreated seeds. Seeds priming with 2700μM salicylic acid had
more proline content, so cell structures such as plasma lemma unaffected and increased relative water content.
As a result, the resulting plants had better growth and prevented the accumulation of soluble carbohydrates and
then increased biomass and seed yield in both irrigation and water deficit conditions. Also between these traits
with grain yield there was a high correlation that finally to lead that seed priming with 2700 μM salicylic acid
have highest seed yield (4424 and 3437kg.ha-1) in regular irrigation and water deficit, respectively).

Keywords

• Cowpea
• salicylic acid
• Priming
• Water deficit

20.1001.1.20081472.1390.9.4.3.1

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