Copper has many metabolic functions in the plants. However, it can be toxic to plants where it reaches the excess level. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the role of nitric oxide treatments on lettuce seed germination under copper stress. Thus a factorial laboratory experiment with a completely randomized design was carried out at the Ataturk University. Treatments included different doses of copper (0, 50, 100, 150 and 200 mM of copper sulphate) and nitric oxide (0, 50, 100, 150, 200 and 300 mM of sodium nitroprusside). The results of this study monitored that high concentration of copper (100, 200 and 300 mM) had a significant effect on the germination percentage, germination rate, mean period of ultimate germination, seed vigour index, seedling fresh weight and  allometry coefficient, although the nitric oxide treatment (without copper) had no significant effect on the seeds in comparing to the untreated ones. Copper treatment decreased the investigated parameters, but the simultaneous application of nitric oxide (200 mM) and copper (100 mM) had a positive impact. The results of this study suggested that nitric oxide treatments have been beneficial upon the seeds that treated with copper, but not upon the seeds that treated with water. In addition, the lower concentration of copper (50 mM) had a positive effect on the seed vigour index.

 

 

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This abstract was accepted to be presented at the conference entitled “40 Years of Horticulture Education in Cluj-Napoca†Cluj-Napoca, September 27, 2017, being included in ‘Book of Abstracts’ of this special-anniversary event (http://conference.shst.ro). All accepted papers will be published in a special issue of Notulae Botanicae Horti Agrobotanici Cluj-Napoca journal.