Does azelaic acid priming increase the germination ability of cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) seeds under salt stress?

Abstract

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of Azelaic Acid (AzA) pretreatment on germination of cucumber seeds under salt stress conditions. The experiment was conducted according to a complete randomized experimental design with five different salinity levels (0 mM NaCl; (Control: distilled water), 20 mM, 40 mM, 60 mM and 80 mM NaCl) and 3 different doses of AzA (0 mM, 0.25 mM, 0.5 mM) with 3 replicates. Cucumber variety Beith Alpha was used as plant material. Germination and growth parameters (germination rate, radicle length, wet weight, dry weight, salt tolerance index, root length, shoot length) were determined. According to the results of analysis of variance, the effect of AzA pretreatment on germination rate, salt tolerance index and shoot length of cucumber was found to be insignificant, while it affected radicle length, wet weight, dry weight and root length (p ≤ 0.01, ≤ 0.05). NaCl levels significantly affected all parameters except germination rate and dry weight. When AzA × NaCl effects were evaluated together, salt tolerance index was affected at different levels of significance, while there was no significant effect on other parameters. AzA pretreatment at the dose of 0.25 mM was significant for many parameters. Consequently, under salt stress conditions, we can say that AzA, when used at appropriate doses, has a positive effect on germination ability. For various plants grown in areas experiencing salinity problems, priming or foliar application is recommended to determine the role of AzA in stress physiology.

Keywords

• AzA
• Priming
• Cucumber
• Salinity Stress
• NaCl

References

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