Biotech Studies 2016, Vol 25, Num, 1     (Pages: 107-116)

Effects of Drought and Salinity Stress on Early Seedling Growth and Antioxidant Activity in Hulled Einkorn (Triticum monococcum ssp. monococcum) and Bread (Triticum aestivum L.) Wheats

Fatma PEHLİVAN KARAKAŞ 1-2

1 Abant İzzet Baysal Üniversitesi, Ziraat ve Doğa Bilimleri Fakültesi, Tarla Bitkileri Bölümü, Bolu
2 Abant İzzet Baysal Üniversitesi, Fen-Edebiyat Fakültesi, Biyoloji Bölümü, Bolu
DOI : 10.21566/tbmaed.08296 - This study was conducted to determine the effects of drought and salinity stress on early seedling growth and antioxidant activity [total phenolic content, total flavonoid content and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical scavenger activity] of 2 hulled einkorn (Triticum monococcum spp. monococcum; AA; 2n=14) populations (Pop-1 and Pop-2) and 4 bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.; AABBDD; 2n=42) cultivars (cv. Gerek-79, İkizce, Demir-2000 ve Gün-91) grown in Turkey. Two different salt concentrations [0.0 (distilled water) and 50 mm NaCl) and 3 different osmotic pressures (0 MPa., -0.5 MPa. and -1.0MPa), which were created by polyethylene glycol (PEG-600) were used. After ten days, early seedling growth parameters such as shoot lenght, root lenght, shoot fresh weight, shoot dry weight, root fresh weight, and root dry weight were measured. Although some seeds germinated under -1.0 MPa. osmotic pressure, none of them reached early seedling growth. Statistically significant differences for early seedling growth parameters and antioxidant activities of wheats were recorded (p<0.05). The maximum shoot length (15.01 ± 2.53 cm), root length (9.67 ± 1.75 cm), shoot fresh weight (100.58 ± 22.47 mg), and shoot dry weight (10.47 ± 2.46 mg) were in the control grup of Demir-2000. The highest root fresh weight (95.30 ± 15.94 mg) and root dry weight (9.66 ± 1.6 mg) were in the control group of Gün-91. The highest total phenolic content (31.23 ± 1.81 mg GAE/gr) and total flavonoid (84.00 ± 6.01mg QE/gr) contents were in Gerek-79 and Demir-2000 under salt stress, respectively. When free radical scavenging antioxidant activities were compared, Demir-2000 had the lowest IC50 values (13.98 ± 0.25 mg/L)) under salt stress among all entries. The highest antioxidant activity of Demir- 2000 under salt stress demonstrated that antioxidant defense of that was more effective than other available wheat cultivars. Keywords : Wheat, drought stress, salt stress, Gerek-79, İkizce, Demir-2000, Gün-91