hormonal and enzymatic responses and seed vigor of coated maize (zea mays l.) seeds with calcium alginate in diesel-contaminated soils

The most important problem of oil industries and refineries is the leakage and spraying of oil compounds and products through transportation systems on agricultural soils. penetration of petroleum compounds in the soil causes the fertility of the agricultural soil to decrease drastically. the seeds of agricultural and garden plants either do not grow at all or do not grow optimally in soils contaminated with petroleum compounds. seed coating is one of the ways to enhance the plants’ seed germination in contaminated soils with diesel. the use of natural materials is preferable to chemicals to prevent the aggravation of environmental pollutants. the main aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of calcium alginate as a coating layer on maize seed for germination in contaminated soil with diesel. this experiment was organized in a two-way anova (4 × 4) in which factor a consisted of four levels of diesel-contaminated soil (0, 2, 4, 6%), and factor b consisted of calcium alginate concentrations (0, 1, 2, 3%). experimental treatments’ effects were studied in a completely randomized design with four replications. experimental variables included some components of vegetative growth, hormones, and enzymes. the most important results showed that seeds coated with calcium alginate concentrations (1, 2, 3%) under diesel-contaminated soils increased germination percentage, shoot and root lengths, and shoot fresh weight while decreasing the activity of antioxidant enzymes including catalase, superoxide dismutase, as well as malondialdehyde production. also, the results showed that 2 and 3% of calcium alginate concentrations produced the highest amount of gibberellin a3 hormone, while these concentrations produced the lowest amount of abscisic acid hormone in the coated seeds under diesel-contaminated soils