Mitigation of Salinity-Induced Growth Inhibition of Maize by Seed Priming and Exogenous Application of Salicylic Acid

Abstract

Soil salinity has come to be recognized as a global challenge to the sustainability of farming systems due to its adverse effects on crop quality and production, particularly in coastal regions of the world. Although maize (Zea mays L.), a C4 plant, has the capacity to withstand a medium degree of salinity, maize is vulnerable to salinity stress during its early growth phases. Therefore, in order to develop strategies to improve maize adaptability in saline settings, it is essential to increase our understanding of maize response to salt stress and tolerance mechanisms. According to reports, plants are known to be able to withstand salt stress when phytohormones are applied. Salicylic acid (SA), a widely-used plant hormone, has been shown to increase a plant's ability to withstand salt stress. In order to reduce the growth inhibition of maize caused by salt, the aim of this study was to clarify and assess the potential impact of priming and exogenous administration of salicylic acid (SA). The results revealed that salt stress decreased seed germination, seedling fresh and dry weight, leaf relative water content (RWC), and photosynthetic pigments of maize. Salicylic Acid (SA) treatment increased germination percentage (43-69%), shoot (24-56%) and root length (13-37%), dry weight of shoot and root (35-171%), RWC (34-39%), and chlorophyll contents (12-36%) of maize under salt stress. The findings highlight the need for additional research to fully understand the underlying mechanisms and explore SA's potential mitigating effects in lowering salt stress as well as its potential practical applications in agricultural practices.