Influence of hydration/dehydration of cotton seeds on overcoming the effects of salinity on germination

Abstract

This study evaluated the viability of hidration/dehydration techniques to overcome the deleterious effects of salinity on cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) cultivars BR-1, Deltapine Smooth Leaf and Texas during germination. Before sowing, one group of seeds of these three cotton cultivars received no previous treatment (treatment A₁). Another group was hydrated for six hours and slowly dehydrated for fourteen hours (treatment A₂). A third group, besides hydration/dehydration was subjected to six hours of controlled rehydration (treatment A₃). Seeds of cotton cultivars divided in these three treatments were sown in distilled water or NaCl solution of -0.8 MPa. Hydration/dehydration or hydration/dehydration/rehydration treatment reduced the deleterious effects of salinity on germination and root growth of cultivars. The significance of hydration/dehydration of seeds of cotton to overcome the deleterious effects of NaCl by increasing the percentage of seed germination and stimulating root development is discussed.