Section 5. Agricultural sciences
SadoyanRuzanna, Faculty of Biology, Chemistry and Geography, Armenian State Pedagogical University after Kh. Abovyan, Yerevan, Armenia E-mail: [email protected] Azaryan Keti,
Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Biotechnology, Yerevan State University, Yerevan, Armenia
Margaryan Kristine,
Department of Genetics and Cytology, Yerevan State University, Yerevan, Armenia Research Group of Plant Genetics and Immunology,
Institute of Molecular Biology Yerevan, Armenia E-mail: [email protected]
EFFECT OF MELANIN ON THE YIELD OF WINTER WHEAT IN THE PRESOWING TREATMENT OF SEEDS
Abstract: One of the prospective aspects to manage the modern agriculture is involvement ofbio-logical substances in husbandry systems. Nowadays the innovative technologies of crop production by application of biologically active compounds are the most applicable and environment-friendly alternative which essentially improve the ecological state of agrophytocenosis and increased the efficiency due to integrative effects. The purpose of the presented study was evaluation of melanin influence as a natural stimulator on the quantitative and qualitative characteristics ofwinter wheat Syuniq. According to the obtained results the presowing treatment of seeds of winter wheat Syuniq using 0.07% of melanin solution positively influenced on the initial phases of ontogeny and further development of plants, promoting the improvement of biological and qualitative indicator parameters. The effect of melanin on the yield of winter wheat Syuniq in the presowing treatment of seeds was confirmed.
Keywords: winter wheat, seed, pesowing treatment.
1. Introduction height of territory makes 1830 m. Geographical
Armenia is landlocked country with limited situation of Armenia, complex mountain relief and natural resources, covering an area of 29800 km2. It high-altitude zoning of territory have caused unique is located in Southern Transcaucasus, at the cross- variety of natural conditions and natural resources. roads ofWestern Asia and Eastern Europe. Armenia The territory of Armenia is specific for strongly is a typical mountainous country, where about 90% pronounced vertical alternation of six basic climate of territory is over 1000m above sea level, average types - from dry subtropical up to severe Alpine, and
temperature contrasts, where only 47% of the total land fund is suitable for agricultural use.
At present, the agricultural sector remains essential for the economy of the country. Being poor land country Armenia has adopted and follow a policy mainly aimed at the most efficient use of lands and biodiversity preservation. Conservation of existed diversity and issues of human health have become increasingly important in the context of current global climate changes.
Towards the sustainable development strategy of agriculture and rural development 2010-2020 of Republic ofArmenia the main problems encompasses following tasks: i) increasing land use efficiency, ii) development of organic agriculture, iii) improvement of food security and sufficiency.
During the last years in parallel with conventional agriculture, the organic agriculture as one of the promising alternatives has been developed in many countries. Organic agriculture is part of Armenia's sustainable development concept and is a priority area in the government's agro-food policy. It is a system that begins to consider potential environmental and social impacts by eliminating the use of synthetic inputs, such as synthetic fertilizers and pesticides, genetically modified seeds and breeds, preservatives, additives and irradiation. These are replaced with site-specific management practices that maintain and increase long-term soil fertility and prevent pest and diseases Avdeenko [2].
One ofthe prospective aspects to manage the modern agriculture is involvement ofbiological substances in husbandry systems Ghitau et al., [9]. Nowadays the innovative technologies of crop production by application of biologically active compounds are the most applicable and environment-friendly alternative which essentially improve the ecological state of agrophyto-cenosis and increased the efficiency due to integrative effects Azaryan et al., [4]. There are described different ways of application ofbiologically active compounds, which can be used in the presowing treatment ofseeds and by root nutrition Pravin et al., [11].
It is well known that the efficiency of the growth stimulators differs depending on the type, mechanism of influence, density and exposure of the substance. The biological substances have a high activity even in small doses application, which in contrast to the synthetic growth stimulants widely used in conventional agriculture is a privilege Calvo et al., [5], Chojnacka [6]. Application of biologically active substances in agriculture has certain advantages: i) can be used at different stages of vegetation as they do not contain harmful elements and do not accumulate in the soil ii) contributes to the increase of photosynthetic surfaces and preservation of biochemical parameters of plant products iii) having organic origin are not affected on the environment and are mostly environment-friendly.
The highest physiological activity of bacterial melanin (BM) as potential stimulator for plant growth and development obtained at the Scientific Center of Biotechnology of the Republic of Armenia was confirmed Popov et al., [10]. The effectiveness of bacterial melanin was confirmed also during grape and stone fruits cultivation Azaryan et al., [7]. It was shown, that the single application of melanin can stimulate the plant growth, development and promotion to the faster transition to the reproductive stages.
The purpose of the presented research was evaluation of melanin influence as a natural stimulator on the quantitative and qualitative characteristics of winter wheat Syuniq.
2. Material and methods
The experiments were carried out at laboratory and field conditions. Field experiments were conducted on the basis of the Armenian Scientific Center of Agriculture of Ministry of Agriculture, located in Echmiadzin, Armavir province. The region is characterized by dry and sharply continental climate and the cultivation of agricultural crops is conducted under irrigation. Agriculture in this region mainly based on production of cereals and vegetable, perennial grasses, grapevines and fruits.
In laboratory conditions the effect of melanin in the presowing treatment of winter wheat Syu-niq seeds was studied. For this purpose, the seeds were pretreated with different concentrations of melanin (0.03, 0.07 and 0.1%) . As negative control seeds were treated by water. For both of them the cultivation time was 24 hours, following germination at 25 °C in thermostat. On the third day the energy of germination and on the seventh day the
Table 1.- Monthly and yearly summai
potential of germination were estimated. The experiments were carried out in duplicate, for each replication 100 seeds were used. For promising variants the experiments were continued in field conditions.
Data on precipitation (mm) and air temperature (°C) relative humidity for the research period in Echmiadzin, Armavir province, are presented in the (Tables 1 and 2).
s of precipitation (mm) in Echmiadzin
Year/month I II III IV V VI VII VIII IX X XI XII
2016 35.9 12.8 10.5 8.4 32.1 19.7 33.8 6 18 15.8 32 35.1
2017 16.8 7.6 8.2 13.7 35.4 3.3 2.4 5.5 1.2 31.5 27.3 8.7
Table 2.- Monthly and yearly summaries of temperature (°C) in Echmiadzin
Year/month I II III IV V VI VII VIII IX X XI XII
2016 -2.1 4.2 8.6 13.9 17.9 22.3 25.7 26.8 19.8 12.5 3.6 -4.0
2017 -9.0 -8.1 6.1 13.1 18.3 23.7 27.5 27.8 23.0 12.5 6.9 1.4
The field experiments were carried out in four replications, with 50 m2 of planting area and 250 kg/ha of seeding norm. From two non-related replication areas four 0.25 m2 permanent surfaces were separated for purpose of phenological observations and biometric measurements. Before harvest, for all the plants from permanent areas the structural elements ofyield were determined in laboratory conditions. The received data were estimated according to the mathematical processing Dospechov [7]. Seed quality was determined in the samples collected from the total mass of yield according to GOST (GOST 9354-67*, 1977). The biological indicators of the variety, the
structural elements of the yield and the technological and seeding parameters of the seed were studied.
3. Results and discussion
According to the obtained results carried out in the laboratory conditions, the optimal concentration for presowing treatment of winter wheat Syuniq was 0.07% of melanin. This concentration ofmelanin stimulated seed germination in 100% both in laboratory and field conditions, while according to Ghitau et al., [9], the highest percent of seed germination treated with stimulators of different origins, was no higher than 95.5%. Obtained results of melanin influence on winter wheat Syuniq are presented on (Table 3).
Table 3.- Influence of melanin treatment on winter wheat Syuniq in the laboratory conditions
Treatment Energy of germination,% Germination,%
Control 95.5 97.5
Melanin 0.03% 94 97
Melanin 0.07% 100 100
Melanin0.1% 84 90
Based on the obtained results carried out in the field conditions indicated that in the experimental variants treated with 0.07% of melanin germs grown
comparable simultaneously and two days earlier in comparison with control variants. According to the obtained data, the germination of treated variants
was higher on 5.3% in contrast to control variants. on biological indicators of winter wheat Syuniq are Obtained results of influence of melanin treatment presented on (table 4).
Table 4.- Influence of melanin treatment on biological indicators of winter wheat Syuniq
Tratment Field germi-nation,% Frost resis-tance,% Viability,% Plant height, sm Roots dry mass on the end of vegetation, gr.
Control 66.9 92.3 90.7 105.5 10.38
Melanin 0.07% 72.2 94.8 94.9 108.9 12.56
The positive effects of melanin observed in early stages of onthogenesis have also been maintained at later stages of plant growth and development. Thus, in comparison with the control variants, the level of germination increased in 2.5% and the viability was increased in 4.2%. Biometric measurements have shown that in case of melanin treated variants the plants are higher in 3.4 cm and the root
dry mass in 2.18 g more in comparison with control variants.
The yield of winter wheat is forming due to the preserved plants in 1m2 area and to the quantity of effective stems at the end of the vegetation Adhikary et al., [1]. The results presented on (Table 5) approved that in melanin treated variants at the end of vegetation in comparison of control variants are preserved
Table 5,-
more plants leaded to the effective tillering of plants. Influence of melanin treatment on common and effective tillering of winter wheat Syuniq
Treatment Plants quantity at the end of vegetation, pcs Stems per 1m2 Tillering, pcs
common effective common effective
Control 33.0 105.8 94.3 3.2 2.9
Melanin, 0.07% 39.5 144.4 133 3.7 3.4
Melanin has also shown a positive stimulating well as the number of grains (56) and weight (3.1 g) influence on the structural elements and yields of were higher in comparison with control variant. As
winter wheat Syuniq (Table 6). In melanin treated a result, a high yield was obtained, which exceeded
variants the number of spiklets in spikes (20.2), as the control variants for 13.6%.
Table 6.- Influence of melanin treatment on the structural elements of winter wheat Syuniq
Treatment Height of spike, sm Number of spiklets per spikes, pcs Number of grains per spike, pcs Grains mass per spike, gr. Mass of 1000 grains, gr. Yield, c/ha Additive yield, c/ha
Control 7.8 19.6 50.9 2.8 47.6 48.4 -
Melanin0,07% 8.2 20.2 56.0 3.1 54.0 55.0 6.6
The smallest Average Difference (SAD05) 0.4 0.3 3.4 0.01 3.8 2.8
It is well known that many factors as varietal, climatic and agrotechnical affecting the quality of wheat seeds Ernst, et al. [8], Sidlauskas & Bernotas [12]. Obtained results of the presented study ap-
proved, that besides the above mentioned factors, the presowing treatment of seeds with 0.07% of melanin has shown stimulating influence on winter wheat cultivation.
Table 7.- Influence of melanin treatment on technology and quality of cultivation indicators of winter wheat Syuniq
Treatment Glu-ten,% Volume weight, g/l Vitreous-ness.% Fractional content. g
3.0 mm 2.6mm 2.4 mm 2.2 mm
Control 25.0 763.1 65.5 696.9 280.6 19.5 3.0
Melanin, 0.07% 29.5 774.6 73.5 902.2 79.3 15.4 3.1
Based on the obtained results, in melanin treated variants the content of gluten was 29.5%, vitreous-ness was 73.5% and the mass was 774 g/l, in control variants the same parameters were 25%, 65.5% U 763.1 g/l respectively. The nutritional value of winter wheat is due to high content of gluten and vitreous. It should be underlined, that the important argument in the use of biological compounds is the fact, that these substances have a potential to effect on the quality of the yield of winter wheat, increasing the content of proteins and reducing the content of heavy metals in the grains. In the frame ofpresented study the effect of melanin on the main indicator parameters characterizing the quality of winter wheat Syuniq was revealed.
Thus, according to the results obtained in the laboratory conditions, on the third day of cultivation the germination energy of control variants was 95.5%, in comparison with melanin treated variants, where the germination energy was 100%, which approved the positive impact of melanin treatment on the viability of grains. In the field conditions, viable grains have provided more than 5.3% of field germination. The study of fraction content of grains (in per kg) revealed that in two variants the large fraction of grains (3.0 mm) dominated, but in the melanin treated variants the grains were more homogenous.
4. Conclusions
The presowing treatment of seeds of winter wheat Syuniq using 0.07% of melanin solution positively influenced on the initial phases of ontogeny and further development of plants, promoting the improvement ofbiological and qualitative indicator parameters and increasing the yield. The key factors in our experiments were the selected correct concentration (0.07%) of melanin and treatment time (24 h.). It was revealed that selected concentration of melanin promoted the simultaneous germination of seeds, detected 2 days earlier in comparison with control variants.
In the filed conditions, for the melanin treated variants comparable higher germination and frost resistance were determined. Biological simulator effected also on the quantity of the preserved plants in the field at the end of vegetation, promoted to increase the quantity of effective spikes and productivity of yield. Additive yield was 6.6 c/ha. In melanin treated variants of winter wheat Syuniq the indicator parameters as germination energy, germination in the laboratory conditions, mass of 1000 grains and homogeneity characterizing the quality of cultivation of seeds also were improved after melanin treatment.
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