Effects of acetic acid treatment on barley(Hordeum vulgare L.) chromosomes

Plants are exposed to biotic and abiotic stresses during the period of growth and development. Abiotic stresses, especially drought, cause changes in the level of cells, tissues and organs of plants. This situation not only reduces the yield of plants, but also causes economic losses. In the literature, it has been shown that acetic acid increases resistance to abiotic (drought, salinity etc.) stress, such as drought, in plants. Acetic acid (AA) is an easy-to-obtain and inexpensive substance that has a very wide range of uses, such as traditional medicine and food. In this study, the effects of acetic acid concentrations on the fresh weight, dry weight, water content, shoot length, stem length and cell division of the barley plant (Hordeum Vulgare L. cv. variety barley seed) and their effects on cell division and chromosome structure were investigated. AA in three different concentrations, 0 mM (contol), 10 mM, 20 mM and 30 mM, was applied to barley plants that germinated for two days and the plant was kept in a dark environment for 1 day in a growing camber. Then, the effects of acetic acid on the root-shoot lengths, fresh-dry weight amounts and water content, mitotic index and abnormality index of barley seeds were analyzed. Then, the seeds were kept in distilled water for recovery (REC) application for 1 day. Physiological measurements of barley seeds and cell phase counting, mitotic index and abnormality index were performed (48 hours) after REC application, statistical analyses were made and it was investigated whether the effects continued after acetic acid was removed from the environment. In our study, all experiments were carried out in 3 repetitions. The statistical differences were calculated using the ANOVA program. The values with a significance level of P < 0.05 were analyzed and the differences between the averages were considered statistically significant. At the end of the study, it was found that acetic acid increased plant growth, especially fresh weight, dry weight, water content, root length, shoot elongation, mitotic index and chromosomal abnormalities at a low (10 mM) concentration in a short time compared to the control groups, and these effects continued after the substance was removed. In addition, a positive increase in the concentration of 10 mM was observed, which significantly affects the chromosome structure. At a concentration of 20 mm, a decrease in the values of fresh weight, water content, root length, shoot elongation and mitotic index was detected; an increase in dry weight and chromosomal abnormalities was detected compared to the control groups. At a concentration of 30 mm, an increase in fresh weight and mitotic index; a decrease in water content, root length, lengthening of shoots, and a decrease in dry weight and chromosomal abnormalities were detected and these effects continued after the substance was REC. It has been observed that the most chromosomal abnormalities are in the chromosome bridges of the anaphase stage. As a result of our analyses, it is believed that the external application of AA in a short time period, even at low concentrations, can reduce the adverse conditions during the period of growth and development of the plant, and its use in plants during drought periods will have a positive effect on plant yield and the economy of our country