Vol. 19 No. 1
Effects of various concentrations of boron on germination, seedling growth and sugar mobilization in wheat using boric acid primed seeds
Author(s): P. CHAKRABORTY AND B. BOSE
Abstract: In the present piece of experiment wheat seeds of variety HUW -468, primed with four different concentrations (ranging from 2.0 to 10 mM) of Boric acid (H3BO3) used as the source of boron (B) to find out its effect on germination. Various parameters like germination percentage, final germination percentage, mean germination time, germination index, germination rate index, coefficient of velocity of germination, mean germination rate, plumule, radicle and seedling lengths, fresh and dry weights of radicle and plumule, ï¡-amylase activity and soluble sugar content of/in endosperm/seed respectively were determined at 3,5,7 and 9th days during germination and seedling growth. Boric acid primed seeds showed better performance for all the parameters in respect to non- primed seeds. Among treatments 8 mM (T3) has presented the best result than the other three [2(T1), 4(T2) and 10(T4) mM ] used concentrations of boric acid and non-primed control (T0) sets. α-amylase activity was increased steadily up to 7th day and then declined on 9th day in which T3 showed the highest activity of enzyme as regard to other four treatments. Soluble sugar content was lower on 3rd day, but it started to increase from 5th day onwards and again declined on 9th day in endosperm of germinating seeds. Report suggested that 8 mM concentration of boric acid equivalent to 86.48 mg l-1 of boron in boric acid solution can improve the germination process of wheat variety via facilitating the solubilization and mobilization of sugar in endosperm which may be due to the presence of micronutrient boron.
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