Effect of various polyethylene glycol concentrations on the growth of seedlings of Indigofera zollingeriana

Abstract

Abstract The use of dry land for the cultivation of Indigofera zollingeriana is an effort to develop forages in the dry season, especially on the land lacked of water. The study was aimed to determine the effect of various concentrations of polyethylene glycol (PEG) 6000 stress on I. zollingeriana seeds by evaluation of drought tolerance test from germination to nursery phase. The study was compiled based on a randomized block design (RBD) with five treatments and three groups. The treatment groups were as follow: P1=water without PEG (control), P2= water+5% PEG (10 g/liter of water), P3=water+10% PEG (20 g/liter of water), P4=water+15% PEG (30 g/liter of water), and P5=water+20% PEG (40 g/liter of water). The parameters observed in this study were the root length, growth percentage, and leaf area index. Results showed that the seeds of I. zollingeriana were able to adapt to drought at the PEG concentration of 20%, despite the salt stress which affected the plant growth.