Abstract
Petri dish and pot experiments were conducted for amelioration of sodium chloride stress in Vigna unguiculata. Petri dish experiments included three sets (25 mM, 50 mM, 75 mM, 100 mM, 125mM sodium chloride – 10ppm, 15 ppm, 20 ppm, 25 ppm, 30 ppm ammonium molybdate – 25 mM + 10 ppm, 50 mM + 10 ppm, 75 mM + 10 ppm, 100 mM + 10 ppm, 125 mM + 10 ppm sodium chloride and ammonium molybdate). Control, treated with distilled water, was also maintained. Seed germination was 100 percent in control, 10 ppm ammonium molybdate, 25 mM + 10 ppm and 50 mM + 10 ppm treatments only. An increase in germination percentage of seeds treated with combination of sodium chloride and ammonium molybdate, over the treatments of different concentrations of only sodium chloride, was recorded. Fifteen-day old seedlings, grown in pots with similar treatments, were used for the analysis of length, dry biomass, chlorophyll, starch and total free amino acids. All the parameters studied were found to be more in the seedlings treated with 50 mM + 10 ppm solution than those treated with different concentrations of sodium chloride (50 mM, 75 mM, 100 mM) and combinations of higher concentrations of sodium chloride and ammonium molybdate (75 mM + 10 ppm, 100 mM + 10 ppm). The values of 50 mM treatment were nearing those of control. This must be due to the ameliorating effect of ammonium molybdate on sodium chloride stress. The present work suggests the use of lower concentration of ammonium molybdate in ameliorating negative effects of sodium chloride stress in Vigna unguiculata.