Influence of water stress and exogenous glycinebetaine on sunflower achene weight and oil percentage

The study was carried out to assess whether exogenously applied glycinebtaine has any role in reducing the adverse effects of water stress on sunflower achene yield and oil contents. Two sunflower lines, Gulshan-98 and Suncross were subjected to water stress at the vegetative and reproductive stages of plant growth. Three levels of glycinebtaine [0, 50 and 100 mM] were applied before sowing [seed treatment] and at the time of initiation of stress at the vegetative and reproductive stages. A marked adverse effect of water stress on 100-achene weight and achene oil contents were observed in both sunflower lines. Exogenous supply of glycinebtaine was not effective in alleviating the adverse effects of water stress on achene oil percentage. Foliar spray of glycinebtaine, however, significantly reduced the negative effects of water stress on achene weight. Seed treatment with either level of glycinebtaine was not effective in increasing the 100- achene weight and achene oil percentage under both normally irrigated and water stress conditions. The sunflower line, Suncross produced higher oil yield than that of Gulshan-98

Potassium induced salinity tolerance in wheat [triticum aestivum L.]

Water culture experiments were conducted to study the response of ten wheat genotypes to external K application [10 mmol KCI dm[-3]] at seedling stage under saline condition [0 and 100 mmol NaCl dm[-3]]. The data showed that there was an increase in the shoot and root length with the application of external K. The increase was more pronounced under control than under saline conditions. The better performing genotypes under two treatments were Bhitai, NIAB-41, NIAB-1076 and Khirman. The enhanced growth of these genotypes under saline condition might be due to the quick response to external K application, resulting in high K/Na ratio. The results indicated that the genotypes, which have the ability of enhanced K/Na discrimination, might perform better under saline conditions when sufficient potassium is applied in the rooting medium

Effect of salinity on chlorophyll concentration, leaf area, yield and yield components of rice genotypes grown under saline environment

Salt tolerance in eighteen advanced rice genotypes was studied under an artificially salinized [EC=8.5 dSm-1] soil conditions after 90 days of transplanting. The results showed that the yield per plant, chlorophyll concentrations, fertility percentage, and number of productive tillers, panicle length and number of primary braches per panicle of all the genotypes were reduced by salinity. However, genotypes viz. Jhona-349 x Basmati- 370, NR-1, DM-59418, DM-63275, DM-64198 and DM-38-88 showed better salinity tolerance than others