Aluminum and UV-C light on seed germination and initial growth of white oats.

Aluminum (Al) may be beneficial to crops, but in excess becomes detrimental to the germination and initial development of seedlings. The main determining indicators are the type of crop and exposure duration. The aim of this study was to examine the influence of Al and of UV-C light on the germination and initial growth of white oats. Seeds were sown on germitest paper in a solution of 100, 200, 300, 400, or 500 mg/L of aluminum chloride and kept in a germination chamber at 20°C for a 12-hr photoperiod. Germination and seedling growth parameters were determined after 5 and 10 days. The seeds were also exposed to two doses of UV-C (0.85 and 3.42 kJ m-2) under aluminum chloride stress (200 mg/L). Data demonstrated that treatment with aluminum chloride significantly decrease in germination at 200 mg/L and total seedling length at 100 mg/L. Exposure of seeds to UV-C light under excess Al (200 mg/L) did not show a significant effect on germination and growth compared to control (non-irradiated). Results indicated that exposure to high concentration of Al in the medium adversely altered germination and initial growth of white oat seedlings. Although UV-C light alone was not detrimental to the germination process, treatment with UV-C light also failed to mitigate the toxic effects of Al.

Mitigating salt stress by conditioning seeds with ultraviolet light (UV-C) in white oats (Avena sativa L.).

Seed conditioning with ultraviolet light (UV-C) might (1) improve crop yield and quality, (2) reduce the use of agrochemicals during cultivation, and (3) increase plant survival in high salinity environments. The aim of this study was to examine the effects of UV-C conditioning of white oat seeds at two doses (0.85 and 3.42 kJ m-2) under salinity stress (100 mM NaCl). Seeds were sown on germination paper and kept in a germination chamber at 20°C. Germination and seedling growth parameters were evaluated after 5 and 10 days. Data demonstrated that excess salt reduced germination and initial growth of white oat seedlings. In all the variables analyzed, exposure of seeds to UV-C under salt stress exerted a positive effect compared to non-irradiated control. The attenuating influence of UV-C in germination was greater at 0.85 than at 3.42 kJ m-2. Thus, data indicate that conditioning white oat seeds in UV-C light produced greater tolerance to salt stress. These findings suggest that UV-C conditioning of white oat seeds may be considered as a simple and economical strategy to alleviate salt-induced stress.