EFFECT OF SALICYLIC ACID ON PRODUCTIVITY AND CHEMICAL CONSTITUENTS OF SOME WHEAT (Triticum aestivum L.) VARIETIES GROWN UNDER SALINE CONDITIONS.

Wheat production is affected by a wide-range of abiotic factors, salinity is one of the major and increasing abiotic stress. Application of salicylic acid was used to mitigate the adverse effects of salinity and improve productivity of wheat. Two field experiments were laid out in the Desert Experimental Station, Faculty of Agriculture, Cairo University at Wadi El-Natroon, Egypt. A split-plot design was used, the main plots were allocated to salicylic acid [zero (control), 100 and 200 mg L-1] and three wheat varieties, Gemmeiza 7, Sakha 93 and Giza 168 were devoted to sub-plot with three replications. Results showed spraying the wheat with 100mg L-1 of salicylic acid significant increased the grain yield of all varieties Gemmeiza 7, Sakha 93 and Giza 168 with rate of 1.07, 1.83 and 0.91 ton ha-1 compared with control, respectively. The interaction between the Sakha 93 and 100mg L-1of salicylic acid gave the highest values of spike weight/plant, number of grains/plant, grain yield/plant, shoot dry weight and grain yield ha-1, maximum contents of phosphors, potassium in leaves, potassium in grains and proline. It can concluded that, the exogenously applied SA increased the salinity tolerance of wheat, particularly by reducing the negative effects of salts and improve yield and its components. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]