Effect of foliarly applied potassium on Capsicum Annuum L. grown under sodium chloride stress--IJAAR

Authors: Sawaira Naz1, Muhammad Hamayun1, Aqib Sayyed1, Seema Gul1, Zahida Parveen2,
Muhammad Khalid1, Humaira Gul1

Salinity is one of the environmental factors that has a critical influence on the germination and plant establishment. In present study, two independent experiments were conducted to investigate the effects of salinity and potassium on germination, seedling establishment and growth of Capsicum annuum L.

A range of sodium chloride concentrations control (non-saline), 60mM NaCl (EC=8.5mS/cm), 100mM (EC=11.73mS/cm) showed reduction in germination percentage and different parameters of seedling stage (plumule length, root length, fresh and dry biomass). Application of potassium (400 ppm and 800 ppm KNO3) enhances the germination percentage and seedling growth. To study the vegetative growth, some biochemical aspects and ionic composition of different plant parts of Capsicum annuum L., a pot experiment was conducted in Botanical Garden, Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan, Pakistan. The experiment was laid out in a completely randomized factorial design with three replicates. Potassium nitrate was used as the potassium source.

The rate of potassium treatment was 400 and 800 ppm. Plants were subjected to 60mM (EC=8.5mS/cm), 100mM (EC=11.73mS/cm) levels through addition of NaCl to irrigation water. Results showed that by increasing salt concentration different growth parameters (Plant height, root length, number of leaves, fresh and dry biomass) exhibited decrease. Electrolyte leakage, chlorophyll content, carotenoids, total proteins showed increase under different salt treatments. It has been concluded that application of both concentration of KNO3 (400 & 800 ppm) through leaves exhibited enhancement effect on growth parameters under normal as well as saline condition but 800 ppm KNO3 concentration exhibited more pronounced alleviating effect under NaCl stress.

FULL ARTICLES AVAILABLE AT: Volume 6, Number 5, May 2015 – IJAAR
PUBLISHED JOURNALS: International Journal of Agronomy and Agricultural Research (IJAAR)

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