Effects of ZnO and hBN Nanopriming on Germination Characteristics of Two Leek Cultivars under Salt Stress

Vigorous and fast germination of seeds are critical in vegetable production. This study was performed to investigate the genotypic effects of two leek cultivars’ germination properties in response to different nanoparticles (NPs) seed priming and salt treatments. Seeds of the two leek cultivars (cv. Yaprak and cv. Porro) were primed with different concentrations (0,10,20,40,80 mg L-1) of zinc oxide (ZnO) and hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) nanoparticles in the dark at 20±2 °C and the primed seeds were exposed to salinity stress (200 mM of NaCl) along with control treatment with distilled water. Our results showed that in terms of all germination characteristics and antioxidant responses there are strong two-way, three-way and four-way interactions among genotypes, NPs, their concentrations and salt treatment (p<0.05). Therefore, when selecting leek genotypes better responding to nanopriming, different NPs with varying concentrations should be considered for better germination especially under stress conditions. The results will also be helpful for homogeneous, rapid germination and stand establishment of vegetable crops which have highly priced seed.