The effect of Gorab saline mineral spring irrigation on photosynthesis, growth and physiology of wheat (Triticum aestivum)

The increasing need for new water resources has led to the use of mineral springs for the crop cultivation. In this study, the results of Gorab mineral water spring analysis showed high concentrations of sodium, sulfur, calcium, magnesium, potassium and silica elements, respectively. Accordingly, Gorab mineral spring is a mineral spring. The wheat plant (Dehdasht cultivar) were irrigated with 0, 50% and 100% of Gorab mineral spring in a pot experiment with a completely randomized design for two months. Analysis of chlorophyll fluorescence (Fv/Fm and PIABS) and chlorophylls, at intervals of three days, showed that irrigation with Gorab spring caused a gradual and significant increase in them during 60 days. Irrigation with Gorab spring caused a significant increase in net photosynthesis and intracellular carbon dioxide, but it had no significant effect on water use efficiency. Increasing the amount of photosynthesis in response to Gorab spring irrigation led to an increase in carbohydrates and subsequently in plant growth parameters. The amount of phenols, flavonoids, anthocyanins, proline, proteins, α-tocopherol, total antioxidants capacity, and the activity of superoxide dismutase, catalase and ascorbate peroxidase significantly increased in Gorab spring-irrigated plants, while the amounts of hydrogen peroxide, membrane lipids peroxidation and membrane ion leakage did not show any significant difference. Based on the results of this study, it can be suggested that high concentrations of essential elements of sulfur, potassium, calcium, magnesium and silica in the Gorab spring increased the growth of wheat plant through increasing the osmotic compatible solutions and antioxidants, and the improvement of photosynthetic performance.