Effect of Seed Pre-Soaking with Glycinebetaine on Increasing Tolerance to Salinity of Sweet Corn at Seedling Stage

This research was carried out in order to investigate the effect of glycine betaine on reduction of salinity damage on sweet corn in plantlet stage. A factorial experiment with two factors including salinity in two levels (0 and 60 mM NaCl) and glycinebetaine in 5 levels (0, 5, 10, 20 and 40 mM) in a completely randomized design with 3 replications was used. The seeds were soaked for 24 hours in glycinebetaine solutions, and then cultured in pure sand medium in trays. Results showed that 60 mM NaCl had deleterious effects on most measured parametersm, but treatment with glycinebetaine led to decrease salinity damages, so that treatment with glycinebetaine had positive effect on number of leaves, fresh and dry shoot weight, root dry weight and plant height. Interaction between salinity and glycinebetaine for root fresh and dry weight, plant height, leaf proline and Na and K concentrations were statistically significant. So that 5 and 10 mM glycinebetaine in saline condition increased plant height; 20 and 40 mM increased root fresh weight and 10 mM increased root dry weight. In another word they reduced negative effects of salinity.