Potassium Humate as a Factor for Decreasing Deterioration of Wheat's Seed

Seeds could be deteriorated during storage. Treatment of seeds by humic acid induces metabolic and biochemical changes which accelerate seed germination and its emergence. This research was carried out to evaluate the effect of seed pretreatment potassium humate on its deterioration under laboratory and greenhouse conditions. The experiment was carried out in a 5 × 4 × 3 factorial experiment using completely randomized design with three replications. Experimental factors were three levels of potassium humate (control, one and two parts per 1000 potassium humate), four wheat varieties (Shirodi, Darya, Morvarid and Chamran) and five heating times (zero, 48, 72, 96 and 144 hours). Results showed significant differences in simple effect of variety and effect of potassium humate × heating times for shoot length; simple effect of heating times and effect of potassium humate × varieties for germination percent; effect of potassium humate × varieties × heating times for radicle length, shoot dry weight, seminal roots dry weight and seedling dry weight. Pretreatment of seeds by using 2/1000 potassium humate produced × longest radicle roots in Shirodi, Darya, Morvarid and Chamran respectively with 72, 72, 144 and 96 hours heating times. The highest root dry weight was produced by 2/1000 potassium humate and 48 and 72 hours of heating times on Shirodi and Chamran, respectively. Application of 1/1000 of potassium humate produced the highest seedling dry weight in Shirodi, Darya and Morvarid with 48, 72 hours of heating times and without heating, respectively. Results also revealed that different varieties responded differently to potassium humate treatment at different heating times. It can be concluded that longer heating durations affected wheat characters at early growth stages and pretreatment of seeds by potassium humate can decrease seed deterioration.