Abstract

The comparative effects of salicylic acid and/or trehalose on osmotic adjustment and solutes accumulation of two droughted wheat cultivars were examined. Studies were carried out with two wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) Gemmieza-7 (drought sensitive cultivar) and Sahel-1 (drought tolerant cultivar cultivars during grain-filling. Water stress was found to induce a marked increase in osmotic pressure, total soluble sugars, total soluble nitrogen, proline, organic acids as well as ions content (Na+, K+, Ca2+ and Cl-) and Na+/ K+ ratio (except K+ appeared to non-significantly affected in case of sensitive cultivar) in flag leaf of both cultivars during grain-filling. SA and/or Tre caused significant increase in these osmolytes contents. For osmolytes, it appeared that osmotic pressure was positively correlated with TSS, TSN, proline, keto-acids, citric acid, Na+, K+, Ca2+, Mg2+, Cl-, Na+ / K+ ratio for both Gemmieza-7 and Sahel-1 respectively.