Priming of Citrullus lanatus var. Colocynthoides seeds in seaweed extract improved seed germination, plant growth and performance under salinity conditions

• Published in: Scientific reports Vol. 13; no. 1; p. 11884
• Main Authors: Radwan, Asmaa M., Ahmed, Entesar A., Donia, Abdelraheim M., Mustafa, Abeer E., Balah, Mohamed A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 23-07-2023; Nature Publishing Group; Nature Portfolio
• Subjects: 631/443; 631/449; Algae; Antioxidants - pharmacology; Citrullus; Citrullus lanatus; Edible oils; Germination; Glycine betaine; Humanities and Social Sciences; multidisciplinary; Phenolic compounds; Phenols; Photosynthetic pigments; Pigments; Plant extracts; Plant growth; Salinity; Salinity effects; Science; Science (multidisciplinary); Seaweeds; Seed germination; Seedlings; Seeds
• ISSN: 2045-2322; 2045-2322
• DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-38711-8

Citrullus lanatus
var. Colocynthoide “Gurum” is an unconventional crop that can be utilized as a new source of edible oil and has the ability to grow in a variety of harsh conditions. To mitigate the adverse effects of salinity on seed germination and plant performance of
C. lanatus
, seeds were primed in the aqueous extracts of the seaweed
Ulva lactuca
before planting under greenhouse conditions. The aqueous extract of
U. lactuca
at 8% w/v led to maximal seed germination percentage and seedling growth of
C. lanatus
. Moreover,
U. lactuca
extract counteracted the negative effects of salt stress on the plant by significantly increasing the activity of SOD, CAT, and POD. The bioactive components of
U. lactuca,
e.g
.
glycine betaine and phenolic compounds can account for such beneficial role of algal extract on
C. lanatus
. Thus, priming of
C. lanatus
seeds in
U. lactuca
extract with various concentrations of
U. lactuca
extract can be employed as an effective practice for successful seed germination, improved plant growth and enhanced salt resistance, probably as a result of increased antioxidant enzymes activity and photosynthetic pigments.