Effect of Seed Priming with Ethanol, Methanol, Boron and Manganese on some of Morphophysiological Characteristics of Rapeseed (Brassica napus L.) under Water Deficit Stress

To effects of seed priming with ethanol, methanol, boron and manganese on some morphophysiological characteristics of rapeseed under water deficit stress was investigated in greenhouse using a factorial experiment based on completely randomized block design with three replications at the Research Station of the Islamic Azad University, Tabriz Branch, Tabriz, Iran, during growing seasons of 2012-2013. Treatments were 5 priming treatments: without seed priming, control, seeds priming with 2% ethanol, 2% methanol and with 0.5% of H3BO3 and of MnSO4.H2O solutions) and 4 levels of different regimes of irrigation: (irrigation at 100%, 75%, 50%, and 25% of field capacity. The analysis of variance showed significant effects of seed priming on mean germination time (MGT) and germination speed (GS). The analysis of variance also indicated significant effect of seed priming and water deficit stress on relative water content (RWC) and number of pod per plant. Furthermore, the results showed a significant difference of interaction between seed priming and water deficit stress for seed yield per plant, stomata resistance and dry biomass weight per plant. The detailed results of this study showed that ethanol seed priming increased mean germination time (MGT) and germination speed (GS) by 65% and 72% respectively. Seed priming by ethanol increased relative water content (RWC) by 8% and number of pod per plant by 9% as compared with those of untreated seeds. Furthermore, seed priming by ethanol at 100% FC increased seed yield by 85% as compared with seed treatment by MnSO4.H2O at 25% FC.