Salicylic Acid Spraying-Induced Resilience Strategies Against the Damaging Impacts of Drought and/or Salinity Stress in Two Varieties of Vicia faba L. Seedlings

Under the present era of changing climate, plants face simultaneous abiotic pressures rather than single stress. Under these unprecedented and joint environmental pressures, thorough research efforts toward controlling such major stresses should be done. A pot experiment was, therefore, conducted to unravel the salicylic acid (SA) mediated underlying defense mechanisms under concurrent stress (drought and salt) conditions in two varieties of Vicia faba L. (Assiut wardy and Assiut 84). The results revealed that separate and combined drought and salt stress decreased growth kinetic traits, photosynthetic pigments, water relations and mineral contents but increased oxidative stress biomarkers, reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidant gadgets, osmolytes and secondary metabolites. Application of SA to drought- and/or salt-stressed plants reduced oxidative damage by triggering the modulation of the activities of antioxidants and maintaining an enhanced pool of reducing agents under drought and/or salt stress conditions differentially in two varieties of faba bean. Thus, the application of SA to drought- and/or salt-stressed faba bean varieties could be used as a potential tool to induce resistance for increasing growth and crop yield under today's era of climate change.

Automated summary

Under the current era of climate change, plants are subjected to multiple abiotic stresses, and in-depth research is needed to control these pressures. The study found that salicylic acid can alleviate oxidative damage by modulating antioxidant activity and maintaining an enhanced pool of reducing agents under drought and salt stress conditions.