Foliar application of salicylic acid and ascorbic acid mitigates salinity stress in hot pepper through enhanced antioxidants activity

Three genotypes of hot pepper were subjected to three different levels of salinity in a pot experiment to study the effect of salt stress on vegetative and reproductive growth of hot pepper along with efficacy of exogeneous application of salicylic acid (SA) and ascorbic acid (AsA) in enabling plant to withstand salinity. Two concentrations (1 and 2 mM) of SA and AsA, both individually and in combination were applied through foliar spray. Salinity stress significantly reduced growth of hot pepper with plant height, root length, and biomass decreasing by up to 73.28%, 74.09%, and 82.57%, respectively as compared to control. Likewise, fruit yield per plant was reduced by 76.44%. Activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and peroxidase (POD) were also affected in response to salinity. Among the treatments, the application of 2 mM SA and 2 mM AsA led to greatest improvements in growth and yield, especially in the genotype SV5232-HY. This study will be helpful for selecting salinity-tolerant genotypes for cultivation in saline-prone areas, and demonstrates the potential of using exogenous compounds to enhance plant resilience against salinity stress.