Comparative Effects of Drought and Salt Stress on Germination and Seedling Growth of Cephalaria Syriaca as a New Oilseed Crop

Cephalaria syriaca seed and oil are utilized for medical, agricultural and as forage crops in animal nutrition and oil for biodiesel. The seeds of Cephalaria syriaca from Sivas-Turkey population were used for this study. The study was conducted in a seed laboratory of the Department of Field Crops, Selcuk University, Konya-Turkey. Germination and early seedling growth were studied using distilled water (control) and under osmotic potentials of -2, -4 and -6 bar for salt (NaCl) and drought (PEG: Polyethylene glycol 6000), respectively. According to the data, it is estimated that Cephalaria syriaca is able to adapt NaCl and PEG 6000 stress conditions. Our results showed that all of characters rate were affected by NaCl and PEG 6000. Our findings in Cephalaria syriaca revealed that inhibition of germination at an equivalent water potential of NaCl and PEG resulted from osmotic effect rather than salt toxicity. © Sila Science.