EFFECT OF ORGANIC ACID TO MEDIATE SALT STRESS OF RED AMARANTH

Abstract

ABSTRACT Amaranth (Amaranthus spp.) is a promising vegetable species often grown under semiarid conditions prone to both drought and salinity. This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of organic acid to mediate the salt stress of red amaranth. Both lab and pot experiment was conducted at Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, Dhaka to investigate the effect of organic acid to mediate the salt stress of red amaranth during the period from January to February 2020 in Rabi season. Lab experiment consisted of, red amaranth seed treated with eight salt concentrations: T 0 = 0 mM NaCl (control), T 1 = 25 mM NaCl, T 2 = 50 mM NaCl, T 3 = 75 mM NaCl, T 4 = 100 mM NaCl, T 5 = 150 mM NaCl, T 6 = 200 mM NaCl and T 7 = 250 mM NaCl. The pot experiment was consisted of two factors (2) viz. Factor A: Three salt stress condition viz., (3), S 0 : Control (0 mM NaCl), S 1 : Mild stress (50 mM NaCl) and S 2 : Severe stress (100 mM NaCl) and Factor B: Different organic acid treatment viz. (3), A 0 : (Control), A 1 : Ascorbic acid, and A 2 : Citric acid. Both lab and pot experiment was laid out in Completely Randomized Design (CRD) with three replications. Experiment result revealed that in lab experiment red amaranth seed treated with extreme salt concentration (250 mM NaCl) impacted negatively and recorded minimum germination (26.33 %), radical length (0.78 cm), plumule (0.27 cm) and total length (1.06 cm) compare to other treatments from the lab experiment. In pot experiment, different salt stress condition reduced yield which was minimum (120.02 g pot -1 and 12.09 t/ha) in severe salt stress condition. Among different organic acid, seeds treated with ascorbic acid performed best compare to citric acid or control treatment and recorded maximum yield pot -1 (211.11 g) and yield (21.26 t/ha) at 30 DAS. In case of combined effect, different salt stress condition along with ascorbic acid performed the best and increased 30.94 and 99.98 % yield pot -1 , and 30.92 and 99.98 % yield (t/ha) under mild and severe salt stress condition thus this treatment is suitable for saline thrives area for higher red amaranth vegetable production.