Responses of bread wheat to Zn-Glycine and Zn-Alanine fertilizers under saline soil condition

Abstract

Zinc (Zn) deficiency and salt stress are well-known soil problems and often happen parallelly in cultivated soils. In this study, Zn-amino acid complexes (Zn-AAc) were used as a source of Zn to determine their effects on salt-induced damage in wheat plants. The bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L. cvs. Kavir) was supplied with Zn-glycine (Zn-Gly), Zn-alanine (Zn-Ala), and ZnSO₄ as Zn sources at three salinity levels (EC 2, 4 and 6 dS m^-). Salinity caused a significant decrease in shoot dry matter and grain yield of wheat, but this negative effect was significantly improved by the application of Zn-AAc. Salt stress decreased shoot and grain Zn concentration, but this reduction was lower in plants supplied by Zn-AAc. Calcium (Ca) and potassium (K) concentrations were increased in a shoot by salinity stress while decreased in grain. Sodium (Na) concentration decreased in shoot and grain by using Zn-AAc. At all of the salinity levels, wheat supplied with Zn-AAc had lower lipid peroxidation compared to those grown under the ZnSO₄ source. Application of Zn-AAc increased the activities of catalase (CAT) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) in the roots of wheat plants in saline conditions. Based on the results, the adverse effects of salinity stress on wheat plants can moderately improve with Zn-AAc application.

Keywords:

• Amino acids
• catalase
• salinity
• superoxide dismutase
• Triticum aestivum
• Zn nutrition

Acknowledgments

The authors duly acknowledged Urmia University and Peoples’ Friendship Ferdowsi University of Mashhad for providing the facility regarding publishing the research findings.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

The present study was financially supported by the Vice-president for Research and Technology of Urmia University of Iran.