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A pot experiment was conducted to investigate the interactive effect of salinity (125 mM) and varying concentrations of boron (B) (2, 4 and 6 mM) on the growth and biochemical attributes of wheat. Results showed that application of 4 and 6 mM B along with 125 mM NaCl significantly declined plant biomass and leaf length. The concentration of B in plant leaves was significantly lower in treatments where salinity and B were applied together as compared to individual applications of 2, 4 and 6 mM B. The membrane permeability and protein concentration were significantly increased by the combined application of NaCl and B, whereas the chlorophyll pigments were not influenced. The phenolic compounds and ascorbic acid concentrations were reduced with the individual applied 6 mM B and when combined with application of 125 mM NaCl + 6 mM B. The concentration of Milondialdehyde (MDA) gradually increased by increasing B application and maximum was at the highest level of B and NaCl stress. It is concluded that salinity worsens the deteriorating effect of boron toxicity on wheat growth.

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Viruses pose a serious threat to the sustainable production of economically important crops around the world. In the past 20 years, potato virus Y (PVY) emerged as a relatively new and very serious problem in potatoes, even though it is the oldest known plant virus. Multiple strains of the virus cause various symptoms on the leaves and tubers of potatoes, resulting in yield reduction and poor-quality tubers. Consequently, it would be very interesting to learn what causes systemic PVY resistance in plants. Natural compounds such as chitosan (CHT) and phosphorus have been developed as alternatives to chemical pesticides to manage crop diseases in recent years. In the current study, potato leaves were foliar-sprayed with chitosan and phosphorus to assess their ability to induce PVY resistance. Compared to untreated plants, the findings demonstrated a significant decrease in disease severity and PVY accumulation in plants for which CHT and P were applied. Every treatment includes significantly increased growth parameters, chlorophyll content, photosynthetic characteristics, osmoprotectants (glycine betaine, proline, and soluble sugar), non-enzymatic antioxidants (glutathione, phenols, and ascorbic acid), enzymatic antioxidants (peroxidase, superoxide dismutase, lipoxygenase, glutathione reductase, catalase, β-1,3 glucanase, and ascorbate peroxidase), phytohormones (gibberellic acid, indole acetic acid, jasmonic acid, and salicylic acid), and mineral content (phosphorus, nitrogen, and potassium), compared to infected plants. However, compared to PVY infection values, CHT and P treatments showed a significant decrease in malondialdehyde, DPPH, H2O2, O2, OH, and abscisic acid levels. In addition, increased expression levels of some regulatory defense genes, including superoxide dismutase (SOD), ascorbic acid peroxidase (APX), relative pathogenesis-related 1 basic (PR-1b), and relative phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL), were found in all treated plants, compared to PVY-infected plants. Conclusion: Phosphorus is the most effective treatment for alleviating virus infections.