The effect of seed priming with salicylic acid and water deficit tension on enzyme activity and yield of grain corn

In order to investigate the effect of seed priming with salicylic acid and water deficit tension on enzyme activity and yield of grain corn, the present experiment was conducted as split plot based on randomized completely blocks design with three replications at the Agricultural Research Station of Islamic Azad University, Tabriz Branch in 2015. The Main factor was consisted of two levels of normal irrigation (without tension) and water deficit application based on 70 and 110 millimeter evaporation from evaporation pan class A, respectively after from 8-9 leaf stage of corn and sub-factor consisted of three levels of corn seed priming with salicylic acid concentrations of 100 and 200 ppm with the control (no priming) in pre-planting stage. According to the results of the experiment, superoxide dismutase enzyme activity increased by 27 percent in maize leaf due to occurrence of water deficit tension and seed priming with salicylic acid concentrations of 100 and 200 ppm increased superoxide dismutase activity by 32 and 42 percent, respectively. Corn grain yield by applying water deficit tension with increasing water irrigation period from 70 to 110 mill meter evaporation from pan decreased as 110 grams per square meter from 8-9 leaf stage onwards, and seed priming with salicylic acid concentrations of 100 and 200 ppm increased corn grain yield up to an average of 13.50 percent and no significant difference was observed in the grain yield between two concentrations. Therefore, due to the lack of significant difference in terms of studied traits and especially grain yield between two levels of concentration, it seems that seed priming with 100 ppm salicylic acid concentration in order to increase corn grain yield in both cases, normal irrigation and water deficit tension have been effective.