23. Effect of Indole-3-Acetic acid and Gibberellic acid (GA3) on seeds germination, growth performance and biochemical constituents of Zea mays L. growing under the salt stress
Main Article Content
Abstract
Maize (Zea mays L.) crop is sensitive to salt stress, whereas salinity problem is a serious threat to its crop production in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Here, we find out the effect of exogenously applied Auxin (IAA) and Gibberellin (GA3) on agronomic and biochemical constituents of maize (Zea mays L.) under the induced stress of Sodium Chloride (NaCl). Our main findings are as follows; (1) germination percentage of Zea mays L. is critical to salt stress than later developing stages. (2) IAA and GA3 relatively reduced the adverse influence of NaCl on Zea mays L. seed germination. (3). Growth factors were reduced at the seedling stage under NaCl+IAA, while GA3+NaCl relatively induced the growth of the seedling. (4) The response of biochemical constituents of Zea mays L. to salinity and plant growth regulators (IAA and GA3), showed that the NaCl+GA3 (20ppm NaCl+40ppm GA3) treatment induced the Chlorophyll a, b and Carotenoid a, b in treatment NaCl+20ppm GA3 and 30ppm NaCl+40ppm GA3, respectively. Treatment 30ppm NaCl+40ppm GA3 and 20ppm NaCl+20ppm induced the Protein and proline content comparatively to NaCl+IAA and Control treatment (without the application of IAA, GA3, and salinity). Little variations were observed in sugar content between the treatments and control, however, the relatively higher Sugar content was recorded in 10ppm NaCl+40ppm GA3treatment. These findings revealed that GA3 plays an important role in certain of the negative influence of salt stress with may the protein accumulation which improves the permeability of the membrane and induced the micro and macro-nutrients levels.
Keywords: GA3; IAA; Salt Stress; Zea mays L.