Enhancement of the Germination and Growth Attributes of Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) through Seed Priming Using Silicon

초록

Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), a significant cereal crop from the Gramineae family, serves as a vital source of protein, essential minerals, B-group vitamins, and dietary fiber. However, its pro ductivity is often hindered by issues such as poor seed germination, which can adversely affect yield and crop quality. This study investigated the effects of different silicon concentrations and priming durations on wheat germination and seedling growth. Analysis of variance revealed that silicon treatment sig nificantly influenced key parameters of germination and growth, including germination percentage (GP), germination index (GI), vigor index (VI), radicle length (RL), plumule length (PL), and seedling dry weight (SDW). Priming with silicon at a concentration of 1 mM resulted in notable improvements, in creasing GP, GI, VI, RL, and PL by 10.6%, 65.5%, 29.4%, 18.6%, and 28.6%, respectively, after 6 hours of priming. Certain germination traits demonstrated strong positive correlations, particularly GP and GI (r = 0.96) and VI and RL (r = 0.94), after 4 hours of priming. These improvements in seed ger mination and seedling development may result from enhanced water uptake, stimulated cell division, and increased hydrolytic enzyme activity, which facilitate the mobilization of seed reserves and accelerate the growth of embryonic tissues.

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