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Pak. J. Bot., 44(3): 867-871, 2012.

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EFFECT OF OSMOPRIMING SOURCES AND MOISTURE STRESS ON WHEAT

ROOHUL AMIN^1*, AMIR ZAMAN KHAN¹, SHAD KHAN KHALIL¹ AND IFTIKHAR HUSSAIN KHALIL²

Abstract: Wheat yield in Pakistan is very low due to poor germination and poor stand establishment and optimum amount of water availability at critical growth stages. To cope with these problems experiments were planned including control and nine osmopriming sources per liter of water that is PEG (100 g), KCl (37.25 g), KNO₃ (101 g), NaCl (58.5 g), NH₄Cl (53.5 g), CaCl₂ (55.5 g), Mannitol (20 g), Na₂SO₄ (71 g) and hydropriming. In the filed these were studied at three moisture stresses of 60, 70 and 80% MAD (management allowable depletion). The experiments were repeated during 2008 and 2009 and were laid out in randomized complete block design with split plot arrangement replicated three times. Moisture stress was allotted to main plots and osmopriming sources to sub plots. Best combinations of moisture stress (M) and osmopriming sources (OPS) significantly affected phenological and grain yield components of wheat. Increased moisture stress showed decreased phenological life of the wheat. Hence lowest days to maturity (157.1) were noted for 80% MAD. The optimum MAD (70%) contributed to maximum grain yield (3348.6 kg ha^-1). Wheat showed variation in response to osmopriming sources. Minimum days to emergence (8.1) were noted for PEG. While KNO₃ osmoprimed seeds took lowest days to maturity (155.4). Highest emergence m^-2 (82), thousand grains weight (39.97 g), and grain yield (3481 kg ha^-1) were recorded for PEG (100 g L^-1 of water). Likewise KNO₃ (101 g L^-1 of water) osmoprimed seeds attained highest number of grains spike^-1 (51.0). From this study it was concluded that wheat seeds may be osmoprimed with PEG, Na₂SO₄, KNO₃, CaCl₂ and water along with the application of 70% MAD irrigation at critical growth stages for gaining high yield. However, due to the high prices of PEG and other osmopriming sources in the market hydropriming is recommended for gaining high net benefit and income.

¹Department of Agronomy, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Agricultural University, Peshawar, Pakistan.

²Department of Plant breeding and Genetics, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Agricultural University, Peshawar, Pakistan.

^*Corresponding author e-mail: aminra12@gmail.com