Conditioning white oat seeds in salicylic acid to mitigate salt stress

Resumen

Excess salt in the soil has negatively affected the cultivation of forage crops, such as white oats. Consequently, it is crucial to seek alternatives capable of inducing salt stress tolerance in these plants. The present study focuses on investigating the effects of salicylic acid in mitigating salt stress on seed germination and initial growth of white oats. The experiment was conducted in a completely randomized design, with five concentrations of salicylic acid (0; 0.5; 1; 1.5 and 2 mM) and three levels of salinity (0, 50 and 100 mM), with four replicates. The seeds were sown on germitest paper and stored in a Biochemical Oxygen Demand chamber set at 20 °C and a 12-hour photoperiod. Tests were conducted for germination, first count, length, and dry mass of seedlings. Excess salt in the medium resulted in reduced germination and initial growth of white oat seedlings, while salicylic acid was not harmful to seed germination up to 2 mM. Conditioning white oat seeds with salicylic acid can be used to mitigate the negative effects induced by salt stress, depending on the intensity of the stress and the concentrations used.