The objective of this study was to determine the effect of 24-epibrassinolide (24-EBL) applications on growth, chlorophyll, and mineral content of lettuce (Lactuca sativa L. var. Crispa) grown under salt stress. The study was conducted in pot experiments under greenhouse conditions. Lettuce seedlings were treated with seed and foliar 24-EBL applications at different concentrations (0, 1, 2, and 3 μM). Salinity treatments were established by adding 0, 50, and 100 mm of sodium chloride (NaCl) to a base complete nutrient solution. Results showed that salt stress negatively affected the growth and mineral content of lettuce plants. However, seed and foliar applications of 24-EBL resulted in greater shoot fresh weight, shoot dry weight, root fresh weight, and root dry weight as well as higher stem diameter than the control under salt stress. Salinity treatments induced significant increases in electrolyte leakage of plant, but foliar 24-EBL application reduced leaf electrolyte leakage and has determined lower values of leaf electrolyte leakage than non-treated ones. In regard to nutrient content, it can be inferred that 24-EBL applications increased almost all nutrient content in leaves and roots of lettuce plants under salt stress. Generally, the greatest values were obtained from 3 μM 24-EBL application. Treatments of 24-EBL alleviated the negative effect of salinity on the growth of lettuce.
Nowadays, due to the environmental stress factors that limit the production of crops, it has become very difficult to find suitable areas to enable the plant to reach its optimum product potential. Abiotic stress is very effective in decreasing agricultural production. Factors such as drought, salinity, high and low temperature, flood, radiation, heavy metals, oxidative stress, and nutrient deficiency can be considered as abiotic stress factors, and these sources of stress negatively affect plant growth, quality and productivity. Melatonin (MEL) was first identified in plants in 1995 and is increasingly becoming important for its role and effects in the plant system. MEL has been shown to have a substantial role in plant response to growth, reproduction, development, and different stress factors. In addition to its regulatory role, MEL also plays a protective role against different abiotic stresses such as metal toxicity, temperature, drought, and salinity. In plants, an important role of MEL is to alleviate the effects of abiotic stresses. In this review, the effects of MEL on plant growth, photosynthetic activity, metabolism, physiology, and biochemistry under abiotic stress conditions as a plant growth regulator will be examined.
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