Hyssopus officinalis responses to salinity of sodium chloride and Urmia lake water at germination and seedling growth

Investigation of salinity levels of 0 to 20 dS.m-1 of sodium chloride and Urmia Lake water on the Hyssopus officinalis showed that the minimum percent (13%), rate (1.4 per day), index (2) of germination and maximum amounts of reduction in germination (79%) were occurred at 20 dS.m-1, but the maximum one of percent (73%), rate (8.1 per day), index (23) of and minimum reduction of germination (6% increases) were occurred at 8 dS.m-1 of sodium chloride. The maximum percent (70%), rate (7.8 per day), index (23) of and minimum reduction of germination (2% increase) was obtained in 8 ds.m-1, but the minimum one of percent (54%), rate (6 per day), index (11) of and maximum reduction of germination (22% increase) Were obtained from 20 dS.m-1 of Urmia Lake water. Time to 50% germination, shoot and root length, ratio of shoot/root length, fresh and dry seedling weight were not measurable at the 20 dS.m-1 of sodium chloride. So, the longest (1.4 cm) and shortest (0.7 cm) root were respectively obtained from control (0 dS.m-1) and 16 dS.m-1 of sodium chloride. Despite of significance effect of sodium chloride on shoot/root length ratio, comparison of means showed any differences. Time to 50% germination was shortest (81 h) and longest (162 h) at 8 and 20 dS.m-1 of Lake water. The longest shoot (2.7 cm) and root (1.4 cm) was observed at 4 ds.m-1 and the shortest (0.6 and 0.3 cm) at 20 ds.m-1, respectively. The highest fresh (0.088 g) and dry (0.0077 g) weight of seedling were obtained from 16 dS.m-1 of Urmia Lake water, and the lowest fresh (0.064 g) and dry (0.0057 g) seedling weight were obtained from control.