Salinity Stress: Comparative Effects of Sodium and Potassium Salts on Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) Germination and Vigor

Background: Salt stress is a significant environmental factor that affects plant growth and productivity, particularly in regions with increasing soil salinization. Understanding the impact of different salt types and concentrations on seed germination and seedling vigor is crucial for developing strategies to mitigate salinity stress in agricultural settings. This study evaluates the effects of NaCl and KCl at varying concentrations on the germination and seedling vigor of the Goksu chickpea cultivar (Cicer arietinum L.). Methods: The study was conducted at Gaziantep University, Nurdagi Vocational School between November 2022 and January 2023. This study evaluates the effects of different salt types (NaCl and KCl) and their varying concentrations on the germination and seedling vigor of the Goksu chickpea cultivar. The experiment was conducted under controlled conditions with seven different concentrations of each salt (0, 25, 50, 75, 100, 125 and 150 mm). Result: It is indicated that increasing salt concentrations had a negative impact on all measured parameters. GP decreased significantly with higher salt levels, with NaCl treatments generally exhibiting higher GP compared to KCl. The MGT increased with higher salt concentrations, reflecting the delayed germination process under salinity stress. Both radicle and PL were adversely affected, with NaCl having a more pronounced negative impact compared to KCl. The GI, CVG and SVI also decreased significantly with higher salt concentrations, demonstrating the overall decline in seedling vigor under salinity stress.