Volume 7, Issue 4, August 2014, Pages 1430–1435
Salma Latique1, Mohamed Aymen Elouaer2, Halima Chernane3, Cherif Hannachi4, and Mimoun Elkaoua5
1 Department of Biology, Laboratory of Biotechnology, Valorization and Protection of Agro-Resources, Faculty of Sciences and Technology, Cadi Ayyad University, Marrakech, Morocco
2 Department of Horticulture and Landscape, High Institute of Agriculture, Chott- Mariem, Sousse, Tunisia
3 Department of Biology, Laboratory of Biotechnology, Valorization and Protection of Agro-Resources, Faculty of Sciences and Technology, Cadi Ayyad University, Marrakech, Morocco
4 Department of Horticulture and Landscape, High Institute of Agriculture, Chott- Mariem, Sousse, Tunisia
5 Department of Biology, Laboratory of Biotechnology, Valorization and Protection of Agro-Resources, Faculty of Sciences and Technology, Cadi Ayyad University, Marrakech, Morocco
Original language: English
Copyright © 2014 ISSR Journals. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Salt stress is a major adverse factor that can lower seed germination and seedlings growth, leading to reduced plant growth and ultimately lower crop productivity in arid and semi arid regions of the world. In order to improve crop tolerance to this abiotic stress, many research studies have the importance of seaweed extract (SWE) in alleviating stress damage to plants. Seaweed extracts are used as nutrient supplements or biofertilizers in agriculture to increase plant growth and yield. In this study, we examined the effect of liquid seaweed extracts made from Sargassum vulgare on the germination and growth of durum wheat (Durum triticum L) (cv Karim) under salt stress in laboratory and greenhouse conditions using foliar applications. We assessed SWE at different concentrations (0.2, 0.5, 25 and 50 %) on germination parameters (percentage, mean time) and growth parameters (radicle length, shoot length, shoot fresh and dry weights) of durum seedlings. Our results indicate that seeds treated with SWE of Sargassum vulgare at lower concentrations (0.2 %) showed enhanced germination (better response in germination rate associated with lower mean germination time and consequently greater seedling vigor and greater radicle length). Furthermore, Sargassum vulgare was found to be more successful and better candidates for developing effective biostimulants to improve the growth of wheat plants under salt stress. This study provides important information on the identification and utilization of Tunisian seaweed resources for agriculture and is the first study to report on the uses of these seaweeds as a source of liquid extracts as biostimulants in agriculture.
Author Keywords: Seaweed extract, wheat, seed germination, seedling growth, salt stress, Sargassum vulgare.
Salma Latique1, Mohamed Aymen Elouaer2, Halima Chernane3, Cherif Hannachi4, and Mimoun Elkaoua5
1 Department of Biology, Laboratory of Biotechnology, Valorization and Protection of Agro-Resources, Faculty of Sciences and Technology, Cadi Ayyad University, Marrakech, Morocco
2 Department of Horticulture and Landscape, High Institute of Agriculture, Chott- Mariem, Sousse, Tunisia
3 Department of Biology, Laboratory of Biotechnology, Valorization and Protection of Agro-Resources, Faculty of Sciences and Technology, Cadi Ayyad University, Marrakech, Morocco
4 Department of Horticulture and Landscape, High Institute of Agriculture, Chott- Mariem, Sousse, Tunisia
5 Department of Biology, Laboratory of Biotechnology, Valorization and Protection of Agro-Resources, Faculty of Sciences and Technology, Cadi Ayyad University, Marrakech, Morocco
Original language: English
Copyright © 2014 ISSR Journals. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Abstract
Salt stress is a major adverse factor that can lower seed germination and seedlings growth, leading to reduced plant growth and ultimately lower crop productivity in arid and semi arid regions of the world. In order to improve crop tolerance to this abiotic stress, many research studies have the importance of seaweed extract (SWE) in alleviating stress damage to plants. Seaweed extracts are used as nutrient supplements or biofertilizers in agriculture to increase plant growth and yield. In this study, we examined the effect of liquid seaweed extracts made from Sargassum vulgare on the germination and growth of durum wheat (Durum triticum L) (cv Karim) under salt stress in laboratory and greenhouse conditions using foliar applications. We assessed SWE at different concentrations (0.2, 0.5, 25 and 50 %) on germination parameters (percentage, mean time) and growth parameters (radicle length, shoot length, shoot fresh and dry weights) of durum seedlings. Our results indicate that seeds treated with SWE of Sargassum vulgare at lower concentrations (0.2 %) showed enhanced germination (better response in germination rate associated with lower mean germination time and consequently greater seedling vigor and greater radicle length). Furthermore, Sargassum vulgare was found to be more successful and better candidates for developing effective biostimulants to improve the growth of wheat plants under salt stress. This study provides important information on the identification and utilization of Tunisian seaweed resources for agriculture and is the first study to report on the uses of these seaweeds as a source of liquid extracts as biostimulants in agriculture.
Author Keywords: Seaweed extract, wheat, seed germination, seedling growth, salt stress, Sargassum vulgare.
How to Cite this Article
Salma Latique, Mohamed Aymen Elouaer, Halima Chernane, Cherif Hannachi, and Mimoun Elkaoua, “Effect of Seaweed Liquid Extract of Sargassum vulgare on Growth of Durum Wheat Seedlings (Triticum durum L) under salt stress,” International Journal of Innovation and Applied Studies, vol. 7, no. 4, pp. 1430–1435, August 2014.
