Effect of Salt Stress on the Proximate Composition of Zea mays L. Seeds

Abstract

Zea mays L. (Maize) is an annually growing plant of the Poaceae plant family. It is an essential and most consumed staple food as it is consumed around the world because of its nutritive values and it also serves as a source of biofuel production. Various researchers have attributed the varying plant quality and proximate composition to various environmental/abiotic factors of which salt stress is one. This study aims at assessing the effect of salt stress on proximate composition of Zea mays seeds and was carried out in the Department of Plant Science and Biotechnology in Rivers State University. The soil used for the study was collected from the study area. Maize grains (SAMMAZ-51) were subjected to viability test and subsequently sown into polybags filled with 15kg of soil at the rate of 2-seeds per bag with 4 treatments (10mM-T1, 30mM-T2, 50mM-T3, Control-T4), replicated 8-times and arranged in a Completely Randomized Design (CRD). Treatments were applied at intervals of two days and allowed for two months before harvest and the harvested seeds were analyzed for proximate (protein, moisture, ash, carbohydrate, lipid and crude fibre) compositions using the methods of Association of Official Analytical Chemists (AOAC). Proximate composition of the treated maize seeds differed significantly (P<0.05). The results revealed T3 as compared to other treatments to have highest values in protein, ash and lipid (7.59+0.2, 1.22+0.00, 2.90+0.00) respectively with T1 having less values in ash, carbohydrate, lipid (0.10+0.00, 42.22+0.03, 1.60+0.00) respectively compared to all other treatments.  This study shows that the quality of maize plant when exposed to salt stress can affect its quality contents and variability in proximate composition can therefore be attributed to the salt stress at different concentrations of salt treatments used.