Effect of priming with chitosan nanoparticles and potassium nitrate on the biochemical content of Quinoa seedlings Giza cultivar under salinity tension conditions

Salinity is one of the most important environmental tensions and causes a significant reduction in yield in plants. In order to investigate the effect of priming with chitosan and potassium nitrate nanoparticles and salinity tension on the biochemical compounds of quinoa (Giza cultivar 1) in Hoagland growth medium, a factorial experiment was conducted in a completely randomized design with four replications in the research greenhouse of Shahed University of Tehran. Priming treatment at two levels including treatment A (solution containing 0/01 percent by weight- volume of chitosan nanoparticles plus 0/5 percent by weight- volume of potassium nitrate) and treatment B (solution containing 0/02 percent by weight- volume of chitosan nanoparticles plus 0/2 percent by weight-volume of potassium nitrate) and salinity tension factor at five levels (Hoagland solution salinity was 2 desi Siemens per meter as control, 8, 12, 16 and 20 desi Siemens per meter). The results showed that the effect of salinity on all studied traits except seedling dry matter and potassium content was significant. Also, the effect of priming treatment on all studied traits except potassium content was positive and significant. Treatment (A) increased seedling dry matter compared to the other treatment by 26/7 percent. Application of treatment (A) compared to treatment (B) at salinity of 20 desi Siemens per meter increased proline (11.8 percent), soluble sugar (20.6 percent) and catalase enzyme content (30.4 percent) and decreased sodium (34.2 percent) and a decrease in the ratio of sodium to potassium (27.8 percent). In general, it can be stated that the use of a solution containing 0.01 percent by weight -volume of chitosan nanoparticles plus 0.5 percent by weight- volume of potassium nitrate in quinoa seed priming can improve the biochemical content of quinoa seedlings under salinity tension conditions.