The present investigation was executed with an aim to evaluate the role of exogenous selenium (Se) and boron (B) in mitigating different levels of salt stress by enhancing the reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenging, antioxidant defense and glyoxalase systems in soybean. Plants were treated with 0, 150, 300 and 450 mM NaCl at 20 days after sowing (DAS). Foliar application of Se (50 µM Na2SeO4) and B (1 mM H3BO3) was accomplished individually and in combined (Se+B) at three-day intervals, at 16, 20, 24 and 28 DAS under non-saline and saline conditions. Salt stress adversely affected the growth parameters. In salt-treated plants, proline content and oxidative stress indicators such as malondialdehyde (MDA) content and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) content were increased with the increment of salt concentration but the relative water content decreased. Due to salt stress catalase (CAT), monodehydroascorbate reductase (MDHAR), dehydroascorbate reductase (DHAR), glyoxalase I (Gly I) and glyoxalase II (Gly II) activity decreased. However, the activity of ascorbate peroxidase (APX), glutathione reductase (GR), glutathione peroxidase (GPX), glutathione S-transferase (GST) and peroxidase (POD) increased under salt stress. On the contrary, supplementation of Se, B and Se+B enhanced the activities of APX, MDHAR, DHAR, GR, CAT, GPX, GST, POD, Gly I and Gly II which consequently diminished the H2O2 content and MDA content under salt stress, and also improved the growth parameters. The results reflected that exogenous Se, B and Se+B enhanced the enzymatic activity of the antioxidant defense system as well as the glyoxalase systems under different levels of salt stress, ultimately alleviated the salt-induced oxidative stress, among them Se+B was more effective than a single treatment.

Waterlogging is a common form of abiotic stress that severely impedes global soybean production. Targeting this issue, an experiment was carried out at Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University during August–November 2019 to screen out the waterlogging tolerance and yield performances of selected soybean genotypes. The experiment was laid out in a completely randomized design (CRD) with three replications consisting of 2 water levels (control and waterlogging) and 12 genotypes (Sohag, BARI Soybean-5, BINAsoybean-1, BINAsoybean-2, BINAsoybean-3, BINAsoybean-5, BINAsoybean-6, SGB-1, SGB-3, SGB-4, SGB-5, and GC-840). On the 15th day after sowing, plants were exposed to waterlogging for 12 days. Waterlogging remarkably declined the growth and yield of all the soybean genotypes compared to control. Reduced plant height, relative water content, above-ground fresh and dry weight, SPAD value, leaf area, number of leaves, branches, pods, seeds pod−1, 100-seed weight, and seed yield plant−1 were observed under waterlogging stress. Conversely, mortality rate and electrolyte leakage were increased under the same condition. The waterlogged plants showed delayed flowering and maturity compared with the control plants. However, among the 12 genotypes, Sohag, BARI Soybean-5, GC-840, BINAsoybean-1, and BINAsoybean-2 showed better waterlogging tolerance. These genotypes showed a greater number of adventitious roots in the base of their stem, which probably helped plants to thrive under waterlogging conditions.

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