<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">Borage is a valuable medicinal plant with various constituents in leaves, flowers and seeds. Hence, it is important to improve the performance of this medicinal plant under different environmental conditions. Thus, two field experiments were arranged as split-plots based on a RCB design with three replications in 2012 and 2013, to evaluate the effects of seed priming and different irrigation intervals on selected physiological properties of borage leaves. Irrigation intervals (irrigation after 60, 90, 120, 150 mm evaporation from Class A pans, respectively) and priming treatments (control, water, KNO3 and KH2PO4) were allocated to the main and sub plots, respectively. The chlorophyll content index was enhanced under limited irrigation treatments, mainly due to a decrease in leaf area index and intercepting more radiation. However, the membrane stability index was stable under different irrigation intervals. Decreased relative water content and leaf area index and increased leaf temperature under lower water availability led to some reductions in the grain yield of borage. All of the priming techniques, particularly hydro-priming, enhanced the seedling emergence rate, leaf area index and consequently grain yield per unit area. Therefore, seed hydro-priming can be used to improve the field performance of borage, particularly when sufficient water is available.</abstract>

Borage is a valuable medicinal plant with various constituents in leaves, flowers and seeds. Hence, it is important to improve the performance of this medicinal plant under different environmental conditions. Thus, two field experiments were arranged as split-plots based on a RCB design with three replications in 2012 and 2013, to evaluate the effects of seed priming and different irrigation intervals on selected physiological properties of borage leaves. Irrigation intervals (irrigation after 60, 90, 120, 150 mm evaporation from Class A pans, respectively) and priming treatments (control, water, KNO3 and KH2PO4) were allocated to the main and sub plots, respectively. The chlorophyll content index was enhanced under limited irrigation treatments, mainly due to a decrease in leaf area index and intercepting more radiation. However, the membrane stability index was stable under different irrigation intervals. Decreased relative water content and leaf area index and increased leaf temperature under lower water availability led to some reductions in the grain yield of borage. All of the priming techniques, particularly hydro-priming, enhanced the seedling emergence rate, leaf area index and consequently grain yield per unit area. Therefore, seed hydro-priming can be used to improve the field performance of borage, particularly when sufficient water is available.

Influence of seed priming and water stress on selected physiological traits of borage

Department of Plant Ecophysiology, Faculty of Agriculture

Folia Horticulturae

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Borage is a valuable medicinal plant with various constituents in leaves, flowers and seeds. Hence, it is important to improve the performance of this...

Influence of seed priming and water stress on selected physiological traits of borage

Published Online: Dec 30, 2015

Page range: 151 - 159

Received: Aug 09, 2015

Accepted: Nov 12, 2015

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/fhort-2015-0025

Keywords
borage, chlorophyll content, seed priming, water stress

© 2015 Soheila Dastborhan et al., published by De Gruyter Open

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Influence of seed priming and water stress on selected physiological traits of borage

Published Online: Dec 30, 2015

Page range: 151 - 159

Received: Aug 09, 2015

Accepted: Nov 12, 2015

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/fhort-2015-0025

Keywordsborage, chlorophyll content, seed priming, water stress

© 2015 Soheila Dastborhan et al., published by De Gruyter Open

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Keywords
borage, chlorophyll content, seed priming, water stress