evaluation the effect of seed priming by salicylic acid on yield and yield components of wheat under drought stress conditions

to evaluate the response of wheat to drought stress and salicylic acid, this field experiment was carried out at the experimental farm of college of agriculture, university of shahid bahonar kerman, iran in 2011-2012, in a split-plot arrangement using completely randomized block design with four replications. main plot was irrigation (normal irrigation and cut off at flowering) and sub plot was salicylic acid (0, 0.1 and 0.5 mm). the results of analysis of variance showed that drought stress significantly reduced relative water content (35%), fertile spikes per m-2 (10%), grain per spike (25%), 1000 grain weight (30%), grain yield (65%) and biological yield (40%). results also showed that drought stress increased electrolyte leakage (55%) as well as proline of flag leaf (60%). in contrast, salicylic acid significantly increased relative water content, grain yield, biological yield as well as proline of flag leaf and also reduced electrolyte leakage. however, the effect of 0.5 mm was more pronounced. therefore, it is concluded that seed treatment with salicylic acid may promote resistance of wheat under drought conditions via maintaining cellular membrane integrity and increasing proline concentration.