Effect of Seed Treatment with Salicylic Acid on Some Seedling Characteristics of Borage

The effects of seed priming of borage (Borago officinalis)with salicylic acid on improving its seedling traits was investigated under field condition in a complete randomized block design. Treatments consisted of untreated seeds as control, hydropriming and treatment with 500, 1000, 1500 and 2000 μM salicylic acid. Results showed that priming with salicylic acid significantly improved mean emergence time, emergence percent and index, fresh and dry weight of seedling, leaf area, leaf area ratio and specific leaf weight, but it did not affect seedling fresh weight to dry weight ratio. The highest emergence index and specific leaf weight and lowest mean emergence time (emergence rate) and leaf area ratio was found in plants which their seed were primed with 500 μM salicylic acid. It seems that seed priming with salicylic acid increased seedling dry weight more than leaf area. It was also revealed that treating seeds with the highest levels of salicylic acids resulted in negative effects on the traits measured. The lowest emergence index, emergence percent, fresh and dry weight of seedling and specific leaf weight and highest mean emergence time and leaf area ratio oblained from seedlings which primed with 2000 μM salicylic acid and followed by control and hydroprim treatments. It can be concluded that, priming with proper concentration of salicylic acid was more effective than hydropriming.