TITLE:
Effects of Zinc and Ascorbic Acid Application on the Growth and Photosynthetic Pigments of Millet Plants Grown under Different Salinity
AUTHORS:
M. M. Hussein, A. K. Alva
KEYWORDS:
Salinity Stress, Chlorophyll_a, Chlorophyll_b, Carotenoids, Foliar Spray
JOURNAL NAME:
Agricultural Sciences,
Vol.5 No.13,
November
7,
2014
ABSTRACT: Salinity stress impacts crop growth as well as production. The need for
increased food production to feed the increasing population and the limited
resources, i.e. optimal quality land
and water, require developing strategies to mitigate marginal stresses,
including salinity stress, for reasonable expectation of crop production. A pot
experiment was conducted in a greenhouse at the National Research Centre,
Dokki, Cairo, Egypt in the summer season of 2005 to evaluate the effects of
foliar application of ascorbic acid alone or in combination with zinc
sulfate on the growth and photosynthetic pigments of millet plants
irrigated by tap water (250 ppm, 0.39 dS·m-1) or moderate to high
salinity irrigation water [2500 ppm (3.9 dS·m-1)
and 5000 ppm (7.8 dS·m-1)]. Increased salinity in the irrigation
water decreased the plant growth, biomass, and carotenoid content. Foliar
application of ascorbic acid alone increased number of leaves and leaf area,
while in combination with zinc sulfate increased the plant height and total
plant biomass. However, these treatments had no significant effects on the
photosynthetic pigments. This study demonstrates that exogenous application of
ascorbic acid can enhance foliar growth which may contribute to increased plant
biomass and yield.