Alleviation of salinity stress during germination in Brassica juncea by pre-sowing chilling treatments to seeds

Influence of pre-sowing chilling treatments to seeds on seed germination an d accumulation of osmotics in Indian mustard [Brassica juncea (L.) Czernj & Cosson] under NaCl stress was investigated. Germination was 100 % in water soaked nonchilled (control) seeds upto 100 mM NaCl, whereas it was upto 20 0 mM NaCl in chilling treated seeds. Pre-sowing chilling treatments to seed s for 5, 10 and 15 d also enhanced the dry mass of 6-d-old seedlings, and c oncentrations of saccharides and amino acids. The alleviation of NaCl stres s by pre-sowing chilling treatments was also associated with decrease in Na + and proline accumulation and a slight increase in K+ and Ca2+ contents of seedlings.