Document Type : Research Paper
Authors
1
MSc student of Agricultural Biotechnology, Graduate University of Advanced Technology, Kerman, Iran
2
Department of Biotechnology, Graduate University of Advanced Technology, Kerman, Iran
Abstract
Silicon has beneficial effects on a wide range of plant species under abiotic stresses. For this reason, investigating the role of silicon in improving the growth of crops under stress has always been of interest. This study aimed to investigate the effect of silicon dioxide on seedlings of bread wheat, Pishtaz cultivar. After sterilizing wheat seeds with 70% ethanol, the seeds were planted in pots filled with perlite. The experiment was arranged as factorial based on a randomized complete block design. At the two-leaf stage, silicon dioxide was applied at four levels (0, 15, 30, and 45 mg/l). After one week, salinity stress was applied at two levels of 0 and 100 mM. After one week of applying salt stress, different morphophysiological traits including root and shoot length, root and shoot fresh and dry weight, and content of chlorophyll a, b, carotenoids, sodium, potassium, and iron were measured. The results showed that salinity has a negative effect on morphophysiological traits, and on the contrary, silicon, especially at a concentration of 45 mg/liter, improves these traits under salt stress. Also, the sodium content in the presence of silicon decreased strongly in the wheat seedlings under salinity, and on the contrary, the K/Na increased. Silicon also had a positive effect on the content of iron and chlorophyll of seedlings under salt stress. These results show that silicon improves the growth of bread wheat seedlings by facilitating the absorption of mineral elements, homeostasis of nutrients, and preventing the destruction of chlorophyll.
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