Alleviation of Adverse Effects of Salt Stress on Faba Bean (Vicia faba L.) Plants by Exogenous Application of Salicylic Acid

Abstract

2 Abstract: Pot experiments were conducted in the greenhouse of the National Research Centre, Dokki, Giza, Egypt during two successive winter seasons 2010/2011 and 2011/2012 to assess the impacts of irrigation with diluted seawater (Tap water, 2000 and 4000 mgL ) and Salicylic acid (SA) (0, 1 and 2 mM) on growth, yield and 1 antioxidant enzymes activities of faba bean (Vicia faba L.) plants.. The work concerned to study the effect of Salicylic acid on growth criteria (shoot height and shoot dry weight), soluble sugars and protein, antioxidant enzymes (SOD, APX and GR) activities and specific activities, lipid peroxidation, electrolyte leakage and yield criteria (Pod weight, seed weight, seed number and 100-seed wieght). The obtained results revealed that salt treatments provoked oxidative stress in faba bean plants as shown by the increase in lipid peroxidation and electrolyte leakage and consequently negatively affected growth and yield criteria. Foliar spray with SA at the concentration of 2mM followed by 1mM mitigated the harmful effects of salt stress through the enhancement of the protective parameters, such as antioxidant enzymes, soluble sugars and proteins and consequently improved growth and yield criteria. Based on the obtained results, it could be suggested that the protection mechanism had helped the plants to increase their tolerance against salt stress, through mainly the decrease in membrane damage symptoms leading to intercellular osmotic adjustment.