Foliar Application of Salicylic Acid Improved Growth, Yield, Quality and Photosynthesis of Pea ( Pisum sativum L.) by Improving Antioxidant Defense Mechanism under Saline Conditions

Safina Naz, Ahmer Bilal, Bushra Saddiq, Shaghef Ejaz, Sajid Ali, Sakeena Tul Ain Haider, Hasan Sardar, Bushra Nasir, Ishtiaq Ahmad, Rahul Kumar Tiwari, Milan Kumar Lal, Awais Shakoor, Mohammed Naseer Alyemeni, Naveed Mushtaq and Muhammad Ahsan Altaf ()
Additional contact information
Safina Naz: Department of Horticulture, Bahauddin Zakariya University, Multan 60800, Pakistan
Ahmer Bilal: Department of Horticulture, Bahauddin Zakariya University, Multan 60800, Pakistan
Bushra Saddiq: Fecality of Agriculture and Environmental Science, Islamia University of Bahawalpur, Bahawalpur 63100, Pakistan
Shaghef Ejaz: Department of Horticulture, Bahauddin Zakariya University, Multan 60800, Pakistan
Sajid Ali: Department of Horticulture, Bahauddin Zakariya University, Multan 60800, Pakistan
Sakeena Tul Ain Haider: Department of Horticulture, Bahauddin Zakariya University, Multan 60800, Pakistan
Hasan Sardar: Department of Horticulture, Bahauddin Zakariya University, Multan 60800, Pakistan
Bushra Nasir: Fecality of Pharmacy, Bahauddin Zakariya University, Multan 60800, Pakistan
Ishtiaq Ahmad: Department of Horticultural Science, The Islamia University of Bahawalpur, Bahawalpur 63100, Pakistan
Rahul Kumar Tiwari: ICAR-Central Potato Research Institute, Shimla 171001, India
Milan Kumar Lal: ICAR-Central Potato Research Institute, Shimla 171001, India
Awais Shakoor: Teagasc, Environment, Soils and Land Use Department, Johnstown Castle, Co., Y35 Y521 Wexford, Ireland
Mohammed Naseer Alyemeni: Botany and Microbiology Department, College of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
Naveed Mushtaq: State Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Germplasm Enhancement, College of Horticulture, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
Muhammad Ahsan Altaf: College of Horticulture, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, China

Sustainability, 2022, vol. 14, issue 21, 1-15

Abstract: Pea is an important legume crop because of its higher bioactive compounds, and its seeds are famous as functional foods. However, the yield of pea is still limited because of multiple biotic and abiotic stresses which prevailed during the growth period. Saline conditions significantly hamper pea growth, yield, and quality among abiotic stresses. Salicylic acid is effective for the activation of oxidative, non-oxidative, osmolytes, and metabolites. Hence, the present study was conducted at exogenous application of salicylic acid (control, 1 µM, 2 µM, and 3 µM) to mitigate the adverse effects of salt stress (control, 25 mM, 50 mM, and 100 mM NaCl) in pea plants grown in the year 2019–2020. The aim of the present study was to evaluate pea performance under saline conditions by salicylic acid sprays. Pea growth and yield were significantly decreased at 100 mM NaCl compared with the control and other salinity levels. Moreover, the growth and yield of pea were improved under exogenous application of salicylic acid treatment at 3 µM than others. Quality traits, i.e., carotenoids, ascorbic acid, and phenolic content, were decreased at 100 mM NaCl, and these quality traits were significantly improved under salicylic acid treatment of 3 µM. Chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, total chlorophyll, photosynthesis, and stomatal conductance were reduced at 100 mM NaCl. In contrast, photosynthetic pigments, photosynthesis, and stomatal conductance were enhanced at 3 µM salicylic acid. The increases in SOD, CAT, POD, and APX were observed at 100 mM NaCl and 3 µM salicylic acid. The current study proved that exogenous application of salicylic acid concentrations had the potential to mitigate the salinity’s adverse effects by maintaining the physiological and metabolic activities of pea plants.

Keywords: enzymatic assays; metabolic process; NaCl levels; pigment molecules; salicylic acid; photosynthesis (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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