The effect of different methods of seed pretreatment on agronomic characteristics of flaxseed under post flowering drought stress in Kermanshah region

This research was conducted to investigate the effect of seed priming on the grain yield and its related traits of linseed under post flowering water deficit in Razi University during the 2015-2016 years. 

A factorial experiment based on randomized complete block design with three replications in Razi University, Kermanshah, Iran was used. Three factors including: two cultivars (Indian and Hungarian), seed pre-treatment factor in eight levels including five seed bacteria inoculations (Bacillus sp., Bacillus megatrium, Bacillus amyloliqueufaciens, Bacillus pumilus, Pseudomonas geniculata), Hydro priming, KNO3 and control treatment and 3) Stop watering after flowering and control were evaluated. 

The results showed that, in control treatment, grain yield of Indian and Hungarian cultivars (1536 and 1497 kg.ha-1 respectively) had not significant difference, but biomass yield of Hungarian cultivar (6129 kg.ha-1) was significantly higher than of Indian cultivar (4575 kg.ha-1). Water deficit caused significant reduction in grain yield, biological yield, the number of pod per plant, the number of grain per plant, thousands grain weight, the number of empty pod per plant, plant height, the number of main branches and the number of subsidiary branches in two evaluated cultivars. Seed priming treatments not only significantly mitigated water deficit effect on grain yield and its components but also in control treatment, increased these traits significantly. Bacillus megatrium and Bacillus amyloliqueufaciens had the best positive effect on evaluated traits.

It seems that use of appropriate and indigenous strains of plant growth promoting bacteria can be one of the suitable strategies for increasing the productivity of crops under drought stress conditions.