Ameliorative effect of salicylic acid in salinity stressed Pisum sativum by improving growth parameters, activating photosynthesis and enhancing antioxidant defense system

Salt stress unfavorably disturbs the physiological processes and morphological organization of plants that limit plant growth and development. Salicylic acid (SA) is an important signal molecule, also acts as growth regulator that alleviates the hostile impact of salinity on plants. Pisum sativum L. (Fabaceae) is a salt-sensitive plant. This study was conducted to to explore the regulating mechanism of exogenous SA on the germination,growth, relative water content, chlorophyll content, ROS concentrations, and antioxidant activities of Pisum sativum sample under 50, 100 and 150 mM NaCl conditions. Pisum sativum showed reduced growth rate, dry weight, decreased photosynthetic Pigments, alteration in nutritional contents under 50 and 100 mM NaCl level of salinity. Severity of adverse effect was maximum at 150 mM of NaCl. However, presoaking application of SA effi ciently retains the growth parameters, photosynthetic effi ciency, and improved antioxidant defense system. However, at higher salinity levels i.e. at 150 mM NaCl saline condition, there was no noteworthy variance in the mitigation in terms of growth and other physiological responses were observed. We demonstrate that application of SA can meritoriously neutralize the adverse effect of moderate saline conditions on growth and development of Pisum sativum.