NATURAL SCIENCES

Journal of fundamental
and
applied researches

Morphological response of bitter almond under saline conditions

2017. №4, pp. 9-22

Badran Antar Mahmoud - postgraduate, People’s Friendship University of Russia, build. 2, lane 8, Miklukho-Maklaya Str., Moscow, 117198, Russian Federation, dr_antar_mahmoud@yahoo.com

Savin I.Yu. - D.Sc. (Agroculture), Corresponding Member, People’s Friendship University of Russia, build. 2, lane 8, build. 2, lane 8, Miklukho-Maklaya Str., Moscow, 117198, Russian Federation, savin_iyu@esoil.ru

Bitter almond ( Prunus amygdalus ) is considered one of the most important rootstocks for stone fruit species but classified as a plant sensitive to salinity. This experiment was conducted to investigate the effect of saline water irrigation on seed germination and the first stages of bitter almond growth as an attempt to raise its resistance to high salt concentrations. In this regard, nuts were soaked in salt solutions of NaCl as (1, 3, and 5dsm) for 48 hours prior to stratification. Subsequently, the seeds were sown in perlite and irrigated with different saline solutions then stratified at 6 В°C for eight weeks. Germinated seeds were sown in pots with a mixture of peat and perlite. The treatments were arranged in a randomized complete block design with three replications and 25 seeds for each replicate. Germination measurements and first stages of growth parameters were estimated. The results revealed that salinity treatments significantly affected seed germination and the first stages of bitter almond growth. Soaking and irrigation of bitter almond seeds with high salt concentrations reduced germination percentage, germination rate, stem length and diameter by 1.1, 1.5, 1.7, and 1.3 times respectively comparing to the lowest salt concentration. However, elongation of secondary and primary root / plant and number of secondary roots/plant markedly increased under high salt concentrations by 1.3, 1.7 and 1.8 times more than its values in the lowest concentration. Finally, the general transplants vigor index was significantly improved under 5dsm of salt concentration; therefore, such transplants adapted and gained an ability to tolerate high salt concentrations.

Key words: ion toxicity, salinity, seed dormancy, stratification, vigor index, ионная токсичность, засоленость, семенной покой, стратификация, индекс силы