Effect of salicylic acid pretreatment on germination characteristics of Lallemantia (Lallemantia royleana) under drought stress

Drought stress is the most important factors in disruption of growth and development plants especially in germination stage in arid and semi-arid regions. An experiment was conducted to investigate the seed priming with salicylic acid on the germination properties of the Lallemantia royleana medicinal plant under drought stress (PEG 6000) at the Agricultural Laboratory of Shahed University in 2016. This experiment was conducted as factorial in a completely randomized design with three replications. Factors of experiment include of salicylic acid in three levels (0, 0.5, 1 mM) and drought stress (0, -3, -6 and -9 bar). The studies traits were measured include percentage and germination speed, average time and germination rate, daily germination mean, seedling vigor index, root length, shoot length and ratio, root fresh weight, fresh weight and dry weight seedling. The results of analysis of variance were showed that salicylic acid priming, drought stress and interaction of traits a significant effect (P <0.01). In addition to, the results showed that with increasing drought stress were reduced germination characteristics and growth parameters of L. royleana plant and the use of salicylic acid improved and increasing of seed germination and seedling growth. Also, the results of the research indicated that the L. royleana could germinate and survive in response to -9 bar stress, but seedling germination and seedling growth reduced significantly the control conditions. Among salicylic acid pre-treatment levels, 1 mM level has the highest germination percentage in the 9-bar stresses.