Morphological and biochemical changes with hormone and hydro- priming applications in safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.) seedlings under salinity stress conditions

In this study, the ameliorative effects of hydro- and hormopriming applications against salt stress of safflower seeds during germination and seedling development stage were investigated. Primed (hydropriming (0, 1, 2 and 3 days) with distilled water and hormopriming for 24 hours (0, 50, 100 and 150 mg L-1 with kinetin) and nonprimed seeds were sown under control (no salt) and salt stress (0, 50, 100 and 150 mM NaCl) conditions. When priming applications under salt stress are compared with the control, germination percentage (GP), seedling lenght (SL), root length (RL), seedling fresh weight (SFW), root fresh weight (RFW), leaf relative water content (RWC), elctrolyte leakeage (EL) parameters reducing the effects of stress, however, it was determined that caused an increase in carotenoid (Car), superoxide dismutase (SOD), total phenolic compounds (TPC) parameters. Besides this, it has an inhibitory effect on the increase in proline (Pro) and malondialdehyde (MDA) content. According to the correlation analysis, significant positive correlation was determined in all parameters. A significant positive correlation was determined for hydropriming GP with SL, RL, SFW, RFW, and for hormopriming with SL, RL, SFW, RFW, total Chl, RWC and GP. According to the PCA analysis, the parameters examined in both applications it is seen that they are divided into four different groups. In conclusion, this study priming applications are compared with each other, it has been determined that hormopriming is more effective in reducing the effects of stress than hydropriming.