Impact of exogenous applications of salicylic acid on growth and physiochemical attributes of Trigonella foenum-graecum L. grown under sodium fluoride stress

Purpose: A major issue around the world, particularly in arid regions, is the salinization of arable land, which has a deleterious impact on plants and poses a threat to the world's food supply. Fluoride is an extremely harmful contamination in soil that destroys crops on a large scale. Nevertheless, Trigonella foenum-graecum L. (fenugreek) growth is continuously declining due to the salinity issue. Fenugreek has a wide range of pharmaceutical significance and contains many essential minerals. Methods: Seed priming with salicylic acid is therefore a remarkably efficient way to increase fenugreek production in salinity-affected soils. The effects of sodium fluoride (200 ppm NaF) on fenugreek were investigated in a pot experiment. The fenugreek seeds were primed with 5, 10, and 15 mu mol L-1 of salicylic acid. Results: : NaF was found to substantially reduce the length of the shoot (17.3 %) and root (39.5 %) in addition to reducing the area of the leaf (31.9 %) and root nodules (24.7 %), when compared to the control seedlings. NaF also caused reductions in photosynthetic pigments, stomatal conductance (40 %), transpiration rate (41.1 %), and photosynthetic rate (32.2 %). Salicylic acid primed seed reduced the salinity stress by improved growth along with enhanced production of proline (94.5 %). Conclusions: The treatment with SA2 (10 mol L-1)-1 ) had the most significant effect on fenugreek biomass, total chlorophyll content (62.3 %), and gas exchange parameters in control as well as NaF-stressed seedlings suggesting that exogenous SA could be employed to improve plant tolerance to NaF stress.