EFFECTS OF SOAKING WHEAT SEEDS IN SUSPENSIONS AND AQUEOUS SOLUTIONS AND FOLIAR APPLICATION OF SOME STIMULANTS ON THE GROWTH OF WHEAT PLANTS (Triticum aestivum L.) UNDER SALT-AFFECTED SOIL

Salinity stress is one of the most deleterious abiotic stress affecting the growth performance, productivity, and physiology of wheat plants. So, a field trial was implemented during the winter season of 2020/2021 aiming at assessing the influence of soaking wheat seeds in some suspensions and aqueous solutions before sowing as main plots and foliar application of some stimulants as sub-main plots on wheat plants grown on salt-affected soil. The combined influences of soaking and stimulants materials were investigated by combining four soaking treatments [control (without soaking), vermicompost suspension, spirulina algae suspension and aqueous solution of salicylic acid] and five foliar applications of stimulants [without (control), moringa (2.0%), licorice (2.0%), ginger (2.0%) and humate potassium (2.5 g L-1). The results showed that the highest values of chlorophyll (chl. a and chl. b), carotene contents (mg g-1 F.W), spike lengths and weights, the weight of 1000 grains and No. of grain spike-1 were realized when the wheat seeds soaked in salicylic acid solution under foliar spraying with moringa extract, while the lowest values were recorded with untreated plants (without soaking and foliar application).

Finally, it can be concluded that soaking the seeds of wheat plants grown on saline soil in salicylic acid solution before sowing and spraying it with moringa extract at different periods of its life is the best treatment that could be recommended to improve the performance and productivity of wheat grown under salinity circumstances.