effect of zinc element on growth, yield components and some physiological characteristics of maize under nacl salinity stress

in order to investigate the effect of zinc element application on growth and some morphophysiological of maize (single cross 704) an experiment was conducted during 2010 at greenhouse. experimented design was complete randomize factorial with four replications. treatments of experiment were soil salinity (4, 8 ds.m-1 and 0 as a control) and different zinc concentration including 0, 10 and 20 mg.kg-1. results showed that salinity stress had significantly different effects on all measured parameters while effect on zinc concentration was not significant and resulted in significant reduction for all phonological and physiological traits of maize while proline and sodium contents were increased. at non stress condition, application of zinc had no significant effect on ear length, number of grains in ear, 1000 grains weight, proline and sodiumconcentration comparing to control. plant height, total dry weight, relative water content percent and zinc potassium concentration increasing at zinc treatments in non-salinity stress condition. application of zinc at salinity stress treatment led to increasing zinc and potassium concentration of plants, improving growth and yield components of maize and significant decrease in proline and sodium content of plants. positive effect of zinc application on growth of maize was clearer on stress condition than control.