Response of germination and seedling growth of Hyssop (Hyssopus officinalis) and Marguerite (Chrysanthemum superbum) medicinal plants to water stress

Subject Areas : Journal of Plant Ecophysiology

M.B. Amiri ¹ (دانشجوی دکترای بوم شناسی دانشگاه فردوسی مشهد)
P. Rezvani Moghadam ² (استاد گروه زراعت دانشگاه فردوسی مشهد)
H.R. Ehiaei ³ (دانشجوی دکترای فیزیولوژی گیاهان زراعی دانشگاه فردوسی مشهد)
J. Falahi ⁴ (دانشجوی دکترای اکولوژی گیاهان زراعی دانشگاه فردوسی مشهد)
M. Aghvani Shajari ⁵ (دانشجوی کارشناسی ارشد اگرواکولوژی دانشکده کشاورزی دانشگاه فردوسی مشهد)

Received: 2014-07-14 Accepted : 2014-07-14 Published : 2011-05-01

Keywords:

Abstract :

      In order to study the effects of water stress on germination characteristics and seedling growth of two medicinal plants, two experiments were conducted at physiology laboratory of Faculty of Agriculture, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad as a completely randomized design with four replications. There were two types of medicinal plants; hyssop (Hyssopus officinalis) and marguerite (Chrysanthemum_superbum). Experimental treatments included five levels of water stress (0, -2, -4, -6 and -8 bar). Results showed that the effects of different levels of water stress were significant on all of the studied indices of the two plants. Germination percentages decreased and mean germination time increased by increasing water stress levels. Germination percentage was minimum (0%) in drought level of -6 bar, in the two studied plants. Root length of Hyssop increased and Marguerite decreased by increasing water stress levels, respectively. Plumule length had a decreasing trend in the two studied plants, but the amount of this decrease was less in hyssop. Moreover, the root to plumule length ratio increased in hyssop and marguerite by increasing drought stress levels. Also, root dry weight increased, plumule dry weight decreased and root to plumule dry weight ratio increased by increasing drought stress severity in the two studied medicinal plants. Totally, the results of this experiment showed that germination and seedling growth indices were superior in hyssop in water stress conditions.