PRIMING OF SEEDS WITH DIFFERENT SEAWEED EXTRACTS

TO MITIGATE SALINITY STRESS IN PADDY var. ANNA 4.

Ambika, S* and K. Sujatha
Department of Seed Science and Technology, Agricultural College and Research Institute, Madurai-625 104
*Corresponding author: E-mail: ambikasingaram@gmail.com

Rice is one of the most important food crops for over half of the worlds population. In Asia alone, 21.5 million ha are affected, 12 million ha of which
are saline and 9.5 million ha are alkaline/sodic (Lautte et al., 2006). Effects of salt stress include decreased germination and seedling growth (Ahmad et al., 2010)
and dry matter production. Seaweeds - rich source - growth promoting substances, metabolic enhancers, macro and micro elements, amino acids, vitamins -results
-early seed germination and establishment, improved crop performance and yield, elevated resistance to biotic and abiotic stress (Bluden, 1994).
Control

S. myricocystum (10%)

Collection and preparation of extracts

Fresh - Mandapam coast
Salt stress- 1.0 %

Washed -remove all epiphytes and sand particles with tap water
Shade dried for five days and oven drying at

40oC

for 24 h and powdered

Fig 1. Effect os seaweed extracts on speed of germination (%) of

rice seeds under saline condition (1.0 %)

150 ml of alcohol was added to 20 g powder and kept for overnight with intermittent
stirring

Control

S. myricocystum (10%)

SLF extracted through rotary evaporator at 40oC and 45 RPM.

The 100% seaweed extract was collected stored in air tight container
S. myricocystum (10%)
Different oncentrations of (10, 20, and 30%) of seaweed extracts were prepared from
100% concentrated solution
Concentrations

Sargassum myricocystum

10

Gracillaria edulis

20

Caulerpa racemosa

Soaking duration Salinity level (%)

12 h

30
Untreated control

Fig 2. Effect os seaweed extracts on speed of germination (%) of

rice seeds under saline condition (1.0 %)

0.25 %
0.50 %
0.75%
1.0%

Vigour index

Seaweeds

3300
2800
2300
1800
1300
800

Seeds primed with S. myricocystum (10 %) enhanced the germination in all the
salinity level and per cent increase over control was 4.2, 6.5, 9.3 and 6.4 under 0.25, 0.5,
0.75 and 1.0 % salinity, respectively (fFig 1 and 2).

Treatments

S. myricocystum (10 %) primed seeds enhanced the seedling length in all the salinity
level and per cent increase over untreated control was 5.6, 5.7, 11.4 and 9.6 under 0.25,
0.5, 0.75 and 1.0 % salinity, respectively .

0.25%

0.50%

0.75%

1.00%

Fig 3 . Effect os seaweed extracts on vigour index of rice seeds

under saline conditions

Percent of vigour index increase over untreated control seed was 9.6, 11.9, 19.6 and
15.5 under 0.25, 0.5, 0.75 and 1.0 % salinity, respectively for seeds primed with S.

Paddy seeds primed with S. myricocystum (10 %) can with stand the

myricocystum (10 %) . Dry matter production in S. myricocystum (10 %) was 0.13,

low and high salinity levels and enhances faster and uniform

0.09, 0.08 and 0.05 (g seedlings-10) at 0.25, 0.5, 0.75 and 1.0%, respectively where as

germination, seelding length , vigour index and dry weight compared

control recorded 0.10, 0.08, 0.07 and 0.043 at 0.25, 0.5, 0.75 and 1.0%, respectively.

to control.

The seeds primed with S. myricocystum (20 and 30%), G. edulis (10, 20 and 30 %)
and C. racemosa (10, 20 and 30 %) recorded nil germination (%), seedling length (cm),
vigour index and dry matter production in all the salinity level.
Bean seeds primed with

Sargassum vulgare (0.2 and 0.5%) recorded higher

germination rate,seedling length and Seedling fresh and dry weight under salt stress
conditions (Latique Salma et al., 2014).

Latique Salma, Elouaer Mohamed Aymen, Souguir Maher, Aloui

Hassen, Hannachi Cherif, Chernane Halima, Mansori
Mounir, Elkaoua Mimoun. 2014. Effect of seaweed
extract of S. vulgare on germination behavior of two
bean cultivars under salt stress. Journal of Agriculture
and Veterinary Science, 7(2): 116-120.