In agricultural production, soil salinity has been a major contributing factor to soil degradation. Salinity inhibits the plant germination due to ionic and osmotic effects. Though, different plant species and families have developed coping mechanisms to defeat this vice. Osmotic potential reduction in salinity soils is, as a result, of inorganic ions in the soil (Ahmad, 12). Such inorganic ions in the soil are believed to be Sodium ions, chlorine ions and potassium ions. Salt tolerance and osmotic regulation relation are not always clear according to various authors though it's believed that osmotic adjustment is evident. The osmotic adjustment is always involved in plant genotype salt tolerance.
Plant families have a variation in tolerance on salinity of the soils. The variation is dependent on the plant species; plants may have a high tolerance on high or low soil salinity. In most case, high salinity in the soils affects the germination process in the seeds. It can be defined as a source of drought or hunger to a given plant. Salinity prevents root performance as it reduces the osmotic activity of the roots that help the root's uptakes nutrients and water from a high concentration area. In such cases, high salinity in the soil affects the uptake of nutrients and water into the plant roots (Ahmad, 87).
[...] In this experiment, the effect and influence of various concentration of sodium chloride on seed germination were examined on the four plant species from the family Brassicaceae and Solanaceae. Previously, it was recognized seeds of Capsicum annum, Brassica tolerance, Sinapis Alba and Solanum lycopersicum can germinate in the presence of Sodium chloride of a given percentage. In this experiment, I wanted to know the concentrations of salinity that would interfere the germination process in a given plant seeds. Experiment Hypothesis Sodium chloride (Common salt) is a chemical compound used by human in their day to day survival in their environment. [...]
[...] Results The figure below indicate the seed germination rates in sodium chloride and distilled water. The figure above indicates the effects of different concentrations of NaCI and distilled water in the medium used for the germination of all the four plant species. From the graph, it apparent that the highest germination occurred in the distilled water. Though, the seeds placed in the medium containing the 200 mm with a high concentration of sodium chloride. Similarly, the seeds from the Brassica oleracea indicated a higher germination rate in the 200 mm of NaCI. [...]
[...] In conclusion, Salinity in the soils causes physiological drought to the plants. Salt leads to a lowered water potential in soil solutions, this in return lowers the ability of the soil to supply water to the plants. Similarly, salt in the soils promotes re-absorption of water from the plant roots that lead to the situation referred to as physiological drought conditions. References Ahmad, Parvaiz, M M. Azooz, and M N. V. Prasad. Salt Stress in Plants: Signalling, Omics and Adaptations. New York: Springer Internet resource. [...]
[...] A two millimeter of NaCI or distilled water is added to the seeds plus a fungicide to help the seeds from attack by the fungal infections. The seeds were placed for germination in the dark at a temperature of 25(c. The number of the germinated seed were determined after every two days from the day the experiment kicked. After two weeks, I washed the seeds with distilled water and added gibberellic acid that would help boost the germination process. I placed the seeds back to the dark place in the room temperature. After adding the germination booster, I monitored the percentage germination twice. [...]
[...] In plant life history, germination acts as the foundation of the life success. Seeds that are capable of germinating in highly concentrated salt solutions have a hyper importance on the family perpetuation and survival in a given environment. Plants germination in saline habits occurs after high precipitation, aiming at reducing the amount of salinity in the soil. Some plant families have to remain quiescent in the soil seed bank till the amount of salinity in the soil is reduced to a level favorable for the seed to germinate. [...]
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