Vegetos
(An International Journal of Plant Research & Biotechnology)
Enhancing germination and early seedling growth and tolerance of barley under Cu stress using gibberellic acid
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Research Articles | Published: 08 October, 2025
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Keywords: Copper, Seeds germination, Barley seeds, Tolerance index, Gibberellic acid
Abstract
Soil pollution with metals seriously threatens the ecosystem and destroys the environment. Copper (Cu), as an essential micronutrient, is beneficial to plants at low doses and may cause significant damage when it exceeds tolerable doses. The present experiment was conducted to evaluate the role of gibberellic acid at 100, 300 and 500 mg L−1 in mitigating the negative effects of Cu (100 mg L−1 and 200 mg L−1) on germination and early seedling growth of barley species. While Cu concentrations had no effect on germination, they significantly reduced root and shoot elongation, tolerance index (TI), and seed vigor index (SVI), and increased phytotoxicity. The combination of Cu and GA increased root and shoot length by up to 47%, TI by 14.2%, SVI by 135%, and reduced phytotoxicity by 16% compared to Cu200 treatment, indicating that gibberellic acid plays a crucial role in alleviating the negative effects of Cu on barley seedlings.
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Author Information
Health, Environment and Biotechnology Laboratory, Faculty of Sciences Ain Chock, Hassan II University, Casablanca, Maarif, Casablanca, Morocco