Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
APPLIED ECOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH, cilt.23, sa.1, ss.637-649, 2024 (SCI-Expanded)
Salinity is recognized worldwide as one of the most influential environmental stresses that greatly reduces crop yield and quality. More than 20% of the world's arable land faces the adverse effects of salt stress and these salt-prone areas are constantly increasing due to both natural and anthropogenic activities. However, in the last 20 years, this problem has become much more severe in arid and semi-arid regions due to increased demand for irrigation water. Salt stress is an important environmental stress that affects plant growth and development. It increases intracellular osmotic pressure and can cause sodium to accumulate to toxic levels. Melatonin is a pleiotropic signaling molecule that reduces the negative effects of abiotic stresses and enhances the growth and physiological function of many plant species. Many recent studies have demonstrated the important role of melatonin in plant function, especially in the regulation of crop yield. However, the mechanism by which melatonin regulates plant growth and crop yield under abiotic stress conditions has not yet been fully elucidated. In this study, lentil seeds of Kafkas, & Ccedil;ift & ccedil;i and Ozbek varieties were pretreated with melatonin and then their responses to salt stress were tested. Firstly, germination percentages of the varieties were obtained and their responses to different concentrations of NaCl were tested. The results showed that the most resistant variety was & Ccedil;ift & ccedil;i and the most sensitive variety was & Ouml;zbek. Then, melatonin pretreatment was applied and germination responses of the seeds were examined and it was observed that melatonin application increased the germination percentages compared to the control. The results of chlorophyll analysis showed that melatonin pretreatment had a positive effect on chlorophyll content under salt stress. Our biochemical analysis showed that melatonin application increases plant resistance to stress compared to the control, even if it differs between varieties.