Alleviation of Salt-Inhibited Germination and Seedling Growth of Kidney Bean by Seed Priming and Exogenous Application of Salicylic Acid (SA) and Hydrogen Peroxide (H2O2)

Abstract

Salinity is a dominant obstacle to the proper germination of seeds, growth of seedlings, and, consequently, the production of crops. The priming of seeds with different treating agents can efficiently impart salinity tolerance. Kidney bean is a nutritious and popular vegetable crop in the world. Literature shows that salt stress negatively disturbs the germination and growth of kidney beans. In the present research, we investigated the potentiality of salicylic acid (SA) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) as priming and exogenous agents to alleviate the salinity-inhibited germination and growth of kidney beans. The seeds were pretreated with SA (1 mM and 2 mM) and H2O2 (0.1 mM and 0.15 mM) and soaked in normal tap water (hydro-priming) for 60 min. In addition, for the control experiment, untreated seeds were used. Finally, primed seeds were subjected to salt stress (150 mM NaCl). Our results exhibited that salt stress considerably lowered the percentage of germination (GP), germination index (GI), seed vigor index (SVI), shoot length (SL), root length (RL), shoot–root fresh and dry biomass, and plant growth. The results also exhibited that salt stress significantly decreased the relative water content (RWC) and photosynthetic pigments such as chlorophyll, carotenoids, lycopene, and beta-carotene contents. The SA- and H2O2- and hydro-priming stimulated the GP, GI, SL, RL, SVI, and seedling growth. Data also revealed that the supplementation of SA and H2O2 enhanced RWC and photosynthetic pigments. When compared to other treatments, pretreatment with 1 mM SA was determined to be comparatively more effective at imparting the salt tolerance of kidney beans. Overall, these results, via a heatmap and principal component analysis, uncovered that priming and exogenous applications of SA and H2O2 can improve salt tolerance and enhance germination and seedling characteristics of kidney beans.

Effects of Seed Priming with Proline and Glycine Betaine on Germination, Seedling Growth, and Photosynthetic Pigments of Rice (Oryza sativa) under Chilling Stress

“…This was might be due to the variation in crop species and the nature of the priming agents. Similar findings were also reported by Ambreen et al [19], and Tania et al [20]. According to numerous earlier research, the reduced water intake, cell membrane damage, decreased cellular respiration, and raised reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels were the main causes of the delayed and uneven germination of rice under cold stress [21].…”

Application of Potassium Humate and Salicylic Acid to Mitigate Salinity Stress of Common Bean

“…Previous studies indicated that Kh application increased antioxidant activity in pepper plants under saline conditions [ 79 ]. The role of SA treatment in salinity resistance was reported in some previous studies [ 33 , 34 , 35 ]. Increasing GSH and AA contents in plants by SA application could enhance a mechanism to protect plants from the accumulation of ROS under stress conditions [ 80 ].…”

“…Furthermore, SA enhanced plant growth by maintaining the expected levels of indole acetic and gibberellic acid levels responsible for plant growth [ 52 ]. Additionally, previous studies indicated that SA application mitigates salinity and improves growth (plant fresh and dry weight) of some crops, such as kidney beans and cabbage [ 31 , 34 ].…”

“…Most reports indicate the positive role of foliar application with SA in resistance to salinity in different crops, such as strawberries [ 31 ], cabbage [ 32 ], and cowpea [ 33 ]. Previous studies reported the role of exogenous SA application in mitigating biotic and abiotic stresses [ 34 , 35 ].…”

Molecular dynamics of seed priming at the crossroads between basic and applied research

“…H 2 O 2 is a signal molecule involved in phytohormone metabolism, such as SA-mediated signaling pathways. The synergistic action of H 2 O 2 and SA was able to boost germination in maize seeds by promoting the antioxidant response and energy metabolism, particularly under chilling (Luo et al 2017) and in kidney beans subjected to salt stress (Tania et al 2022 ). A similar protective role of H 2 O 2 -mediated priming was highlighted in rice seeds and seedlings under drought stress in rice (Jira-Anunkul and Pattanagul 2020), as well as cauliflower seeds and seedlings challenged with salt stress (Ellouzi et al 2021 ).…”