Evaluation of some physiological characteristics of wheat under water stress and zeolite application

Out break and duration of water stress condition in plant cells, will decrease the cells membrane stability and causes the electrolytes leakage of cell. In order to evaluate the some physiological characteristics of wheat under water stress and zeolite application, this study was carried out in research field of Arak Payam Noor University in 2009. A split-plot arrangement of treatment in a randomized complete block design with three replications was used. Water stress (I0= Control irrigation, I1, I2 and I3= Irrigation about 85, 70 and 55% of plant requirement water) were assigned in the main plots and different levels of zeolite application (Z0= without zeolite application, Z1, Z2, and Z3= 3, 6 and 9 ton ha-1) in sub plots. Results indicated that different levels of water stress had significant effect on characteristics such as: harvest index, flag leaf area, Concentration of chlorophyll a+b, electrical conductivity of control treatment, electrical conductivity of 60 degree water, electrical conductivity of methanol treatment and electrical conductivity of aseton treatment. The effect of differentlevels of zeolite application on leaf area, yield, conductivity of control treatment, conductivity of 60 degree water, conductivity of methanol treatment were significant, too. Results indicated that sever water stress (%55 of water requirement) with average grain yield of 5193 kg ha-1 and control with average grain yield of 3330 kg ha-1 had hightest and lowest grain yield, respectively. Application of 9 ton ha-1 zeolite with average grain yield of 4901 kg ha-1 and without zeolite application treatment with average of 4078 kg ha-1 producted the maximum and minimum grain yield, respectively.