Action of manganese salt on Triticum aestivum

Specific need in manganese is a characteristic feature of all plants. At present time, participation of this element in functioning in a number of processes and structures in the plant organism is proved. Indispensability of manganese as a component of plant metabolism is evidenced by death of plants aged 2-4 weeks at absolute exclusion of manganese nutrient medium, and symptoms of disorders at all levels of metabolism due to lack of this element. As opposed to symptoms of deficiency which are specific for every element, the signs of excess are more or less the same. In conditions of gradual increase of the concentration of ions as factors of influence, gradual manifestation of plant organism depression is observed: growth inhibition, root dying and leaf chlorosis, etc. Foliar feeding of grain crops including winter wheat with manganese is very important because they have a great need for such elements as manganese and copper. Efficiency of the types of foliar feeding is connected with the mechanisms of penetration of manganese into the plant cells. Unlike other metals, manganese can be mobilized by sprouts from seed integument: metal absorption from wheat seeds lasts till the seventh day. That's why, the aim of our work was to investigate the influence of pre-sowing processing of winter wheat seeds with solutions of different concentrations of manganese sulfate for detection of the optimal concentration and studying of phytotoxic influence of the excess manganese action. Vegetation tests were carried out in the laboratory conditions for performing the studies. Winter wheat seeds were steeped into solutions of manganese sulfate in such concentrations as 0.001%, 0.01%, 0.1%, 0.5% and 1%. After that they were couched in multi-component environment (sod-podzol soil). As a control variant, an experiment without treatment was used. The influence of different concentrations on the growth processes such as seed germination, length of the sprout, weight of the plants and their root system was estimated. It was determined that the optimal concentration of manganese sulfate for the pre-sowing processing was equal to 0.001-0.01%. The critical one, at which the phytotoxic action is manifested in growth depression and decrease of sprout biomass, is the use of 0.5-1.0% solution of manganese sulfate for the pre-sowing seed treatment.