Abstract:
Greenhouse experiment was
carried out to study the effects of
superabsorbent and water deficit stress on
seedling growth of barley (Hordeum
vulgare L.) in Urmia University of Iran.
Three amounts of superabsorbent polymer
(0 (S1), 2 (S2) and 4 g (S3) were mixed with
500 g soil before sowing, and four levels of
irrigation regimes (irrigation at 20 (I1), 40
(I2), 60 (I3) and 80% (I3) field capacity)
were set as treatments. The root length, root
volume, root and shoot dry weight, plant
height, leaf length, leaf width, SPAD and
root-shoot ratio were affected by treatments.
Means comparisons indicated that the
highest root length (19 cm) observed in the
I4 irrigation regime and the lowest of it
(16.18 cm) obtained in I1 condition. Barley
plants that received 4 g and no
superabsorbent had the utmost (1.13 cm)
and lowest (0.54 cm) root volume,
respectively. Whereas plant situated in I4
and I1 irrigation regimes produced greatest
and smallest amount amount of shoot dry
weight and SPAD. The maximum (12.83
cm) and minimum (8.33 cm) leaf length was
obtained from S3I3 and S1I1 condition,
respectively. Generally, the results showed
the most of measured barley seedling traits
in irrigation at 40 % field capacity (I2) were
the equal with I3 and I4 irrigation regimes
treatments, which indicated the resistance of
barley seedling to the water deficit stress.
Also, we found that the improving of root
dry weight and root volume of barley
seedling along with increasing in the
superabsorbent application.
