Response of wheat plants to pre-sowing seed treatment with methyl jasmonate and salicylic acid aimed at minimizing the negative effects of excess zinc in the environment

Abstract

During the pot experiment in 2023 and 2024, we examined the effect of pre-sowing seed treatment with 10 μM methyl jasmonate (MeJA) and 100 μM salicylic acid (SA) on wheat plant seed production. This was done under optimal (5 mg kg) and increased (46 mg kg) zinc content in a sandy substrate. Additionally, we evaluated the sowing qualities of seeds obtained from these plants. It was found that SA had no effect on the studied indices at either optimal or increased zinc content in the substrate. The situation with MeJA was different. MeJA seed treatment had a varying effect on different growing seasons. In 2023, it did not affect the studied productivity indices. However, in 2024, it caused a decrease of ear length, the number of grains in the main ear, and the number of grains per plant. It is important that the seeds formed on all plant variants were of good quality and germinated successfully. It was concluded that the response of plants to the pre-sowing treatment of seeds with MeJA and SA to minimize the negative effects of excess zinc in the external environment depended on the concentration of hormones and a number of other related factors. Therefore, the effective application of this agricultural technique requires preliminary research to identify the nature and strength of MeJA and SA influence on productivity and its components. These components include the biological characteristics of the object, temperature and light conditions, and moisture supply.