The Effects of Seed Treatment with Melatonin on Germination and Emergence Performance of Pepper Seeds under Chilling Stress

Abstract

Melatonin was first isolated from bovine pineal gland more than half a century ago as an important animal hormone and since then it was proved to be present in almost all forms of life including eukaryotic unicells, prokaryotes, fungi, algae, animals and plants. In this study, the effects of pre-sowing seed treatment with melatonin on germination and emergence performance of pepper seeds under chilling conditions were investigated. Seeds were immersed in 0 distilled water , 1, 5, 10 or 25 µM melatonin solutions for 24 hours after which they were dried for one day and subjected to germination and emergence tests at optimum 25 o C and chilling stress 15 o C conditions. Untreated dry seeds were used as a control. Exogenous melatonin treatment promoted pepper seed germination and emergence under chilling conditions. Treatment of seeds with melatonin especially in 1 or 5 µM concentrations significantly improved germination and emergence percentage whereas control seeds and seeds treated with water exhibited the lowest germination and emergence performance. Melatonin application also reduced the MDA and H2 O2 contents and elevated SOD and CAT enzyme activities. The improvement in germination and emergence performance of pepper under chilling stress conditions following melatonin treatment may therefore be due to reduced lipid peroxidation and elevated activities of antioxidant enzymes.

Keywords

• Antioxidant enzymes,Capsicum annuum,Chilling stress,Melatonin,Seed treatment

Melatonin Uygulamalarının Üşüme Stresi Altındaki Biber Tohumlarının Çimlenme ve Çıkış Performansı Üzerine Etkisi

Abstract

Melatonin bir hayvansal hormon olarak ilk olarak sığır beyin üstü bezinden yarım yüzyılı aşkın bir süre önce izole edilmiş ve daha sonra tek hücreliler, mantarlar, algler, hayvanlar ve bitkiler gibi evrimsel olarak birbirlerinden çok farklı organizmalarda varlığı kanıtlanmıştır. Bu çalışmada dışarıdan yapılan melatonin uygulamaları ile biberde Capsicum annuum L. çimlenme sırasında üşüme stresine karşı toleransın arttırılması hedeflenmiştir. Biber tohumları 24 saat süreyle farklı konsantrasyonlarda 0, 1, 5, 10 ve 25 µM melatonin ile muamele edilmişler ve daha sonra bir gün kurutularak optimum 25 o C ve üşüme stresi 15 o C koşullarında çimlenme ve çıkış testlerine tabi tutulmuşlardır. Ekim öncesi tohum muamelesi şeklinde yapılan melatonin uygulamaları ile üşüme stresi koşulları altında biberin tohum çimlenmesi ve fide çıkış performansının olumlu yönde etkilenebileceği görülmüştür. En etkili melatonin konsantrasyonu olarak belirlenen 1 ve 5 µM melatonin uygulamaları sonucunda kontrol uygulamalarına kıyasla çimlenme ve çıkış yüzdeleri ile hızlarının arttığı saptanmıştır. Melatonin uygulamaları fidelerde H2 O2 ve MDA içeriğini düşürmüş, buna karşılık SOD ve CAT enzim aktivitelerini arttırmıştır. Bu araştırma sonuçlarına dayanarak, biber tohumlarının çimlenme ve fide çıkış performanslarının arttırılmasında antioksidan enzim aktivitelerinin seviyelerindeki artışın neden olduğu dokulardaki lipitlerin peroksidayonunda gerçekleşen bozulmanın azalması olduğu söylenebilir

Keywords

• Antioksidan enzimler,Capsicum annuum,Melatonin,Tohum uygulaması,Üşüme stresi

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