FATTY ACID CONTENT AND MORPHOLOGICAL INDICATORS OF WINTER WHEAT (TRITICUM AESTIVUM L.) SEEDLINGS GROWN FROM SEEDS TREATED WITH OZONE

Abstract

Background. Presently, a selection of environmentally friendly technologies for pre-sowing treatment of wheat seeds is conducted in agriculture. Ozone, an allotropic form of oxygen, is highly reactive, acts as an effective insecticide, promotes seed improvement, and reduces soil contamination. The impact of ozone on seeds is one of the promising technologies to improve the quality of seedlings. It is known that the field germination of winter wheat may be less than 50%, depending on the environmental conditions, and therefore the quality of seedlings is very important. Purpose. To evaluate the effect of different ozone concentrations on morphological parameters and synthesis of fatty acids (FA) in winter wheat seedlings. Materials and methods. The object of the study was the seeds of soft winter wheat (variety Irkutskaya). The ozonation was conducted with ozone concentrations of 2, 4, 6 and 8 g/m3 during 15, 30, 45 and 60 min. The germination of treated and control seeds was carried out for three days in the dark in a thermostat (24±1°C). On the third day, the morphometric characteristics were measured. The extraction of lipids from shoots and roots was carried out according to the method of Bligh, Dyer [14]. The methyl esters of lipid fatty acids were analyzed by chromato-mass spectrometry. Statistical data processing was conducted with the use of R programming language and SigmaPlot v. 12.5. Results. Ozone in concentrations of 2, 4, 6 g/m3 has a stimulating effect on seedling germination, the length of the shoots and roots increases. At ozone concentration of 8 g/m3, the length of the shoots and roots decreases. There is a general trend in the content of fatty acids, in the shoots of seedlings there is some decrease in lipid unsaturation, and in the roots - some increase in lipid unsaturation. Conclusion. Ozone in concentrations up to 8 g/m3 is suitable for pre-sowing seed treatment and improves seedling performance.

Keywords

• ozone
• wheat
• fatty acids
• pre-sowing preparation
• seeds