Differential Interactive Effects of Ca/Mg Quotients on Agro-Physiological Conditions in Prolin Variety of Sorghum Bicolor L. by Polyethylene Glycol Induced Drought Stress

Abstract

Drought is one of the factors that inversely affect the growth of plants. The present study aimed to determine the differential interactive effects of Ca/Mg quotient under PEG-induced drought in the Prolin variety of Sorghum bicolor L. at the vegetative stage. Sorghum bicolor L. variety Proline was obtained from Persabaq Nowshera, and was sown in earthen pots (lower inside diameter, 18cm upper inner diameter, 20 cm height and 2 cm thickness) filled with 2kg of air-dried soil and silt (2:1) having pH, moisture content and field capacity in triplicates in the greenhouse, provide with Ca/Mg solution properly. The designed experiment contained seven treatments each having three replicates, among these treatments first three were controlled, and the other six were treated with Ca/Mg quotient 4+PEG(0.6 MPa), Ca/Mg quotient 4+PEG(0.2 MPa), Ca/Mg quotient 2+PEG(0.6 MPa), Ca/Mg quotient 2+PEG(0.2 MPa), Ca/Mg quotient 0.18+PEG(0.6 MPa), and Ca/Mg quotient 0.18+PEG(0.2 MPa) respectively with three replicates. After 4 weeks of growth plants were then given the PEG solutions in different concentrations. It was observed in the results that in normal conditions (Control set) the selected plant gave good results however in the treatments the PEG-induced drought affected the plant growth there was a reduction in the agronomy i.e. leaf area, leaf fresh and dry weight, and the similar reduction also occurred with all other (root shoot) vegetative parts which gave minimum results as compared to the control and more reduction occur as to increase the PEG amount (0.6MPa) while in all treatment presence of Ca/Mg quotient reduce the effect of PEG by giving the plant nutritive strength. The biochemical characteristics like chlorophyll, sugar, and protein are also reduced in PEG treatment. Finally, it was concluded that the presence of Ca/Mg quotients combats the induced drought stress by PEG in the protein variety of Sorghum bicolor L.