Alleviating Salinity Stress in Wheat using Selenite Seed Primed Aderoju David Oyinade1,*, Akeem Ajiboye Abiodun1, Festus Akomolafe Gbenga2, Oludare Agbolade James1, Boyede Ojo Mercy1, Lekan Jolayemi Okanlawon3, Julius Olawuni Idowu4 1Department of Plant Science and Biotechnology, Federal University Oye-Ekiti, Ekiti State, Nigeria 2Department of Botany, Federal University, Lafia, Nasarawa State, Nigeria 3Department of Plant Breeding, Swedish University of Agriculture Sciences, Alnarp, Sweden 4Department of Biochemistry, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State *Corresponding author: Department of Plant Science and Biotechnology, Federal University Oye-Ekiti, Ekiti State, Nigeria. Email: oyinade.dedeke@fuoye.edu.ng
Online published on 11 January, 2019. Abstract Salinity stress is an important abiotic stress that adversely affects food production. Selenite is a vital micronutrients required by plants for their physiological growth. The present study is aimed at the effect and dosage of selenite on the germination, emergence growth, reproductive characters, yield and nutritional composition of wheat under salinity stress. Seeds were soaked in different concentrations 0mg/l, 50mg/l, 100mg/l and 150mg/l of Se for eight hours at 26°C. They were rinsed and dried back to their initial moisture contents. Primed seed were sown. Plants were irrigated eight times with saline water at concentrations of 0 mM, 100 mM and 200mM. When there was no stress, selenite delayed germination of wheat seeds at the beginning, hastening flowering at higher concentrations (100-150mg/l) and drastically improved 31% and 25% growth of radicle and plumule at low concentration (50mg/l) than other treatments. Whereas, during salinity stress, selenite stimulated 25% shoot/root ratio and improved nutritional contents (15% protein and 10% vitamin C) of wheat was obtained at low concentration (50mg/l). However, selenite at high concentration (100mg/l and 150mg/l) triggered floral budding thus produced greater grain and biomass yield during salinity stress. Therefore, selenite improved the reproduction, yield and nutritional value of wheat under salinity stress. However, wheat reproduction and its development in selenite seed-primed is concentration dependent. Top Keywords Salinity, selenite, yield, wheat, nutritional and reproduction character. Top |