Is foliar spray of proline sufficient for mitigation of salt stress in Brassica juncea cultivars?

• Published in: Environmental science and pollution research international Vol. 23; no. 13; pp. 13413 - 13423
• Main Authors: Wani, A. S., Ahmad, A., Hayat, S., Tahir, I.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer Berlin Heidelberg 01.07.2016; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Abiotic stress; Antioxidants; Aquatic Pollution; Atmospheric Protection/Air Quality Control/Air Pollution; Brassica juncea; Chlorophyll; Climate change; Cultivars; Earth and Environmental Science; Ecotoxicology; Electrolytes; Environment; Environmental Chemistry; Environmental Health; Environmental science; Enzymes; Flowers & plants; Leaves; Mustard Plant - drug effects; Mustard Plant - growth & development; Mustard Plant - metabolism; Photosynthesis; Photosynthesis - drug effects; Physiology; Plant growth; Proline - pharmacology; Protective Agents - pharmacology; Research Article; Salinity; Salt; Salts; Seeds; Sodium chloride; Sodium Chloride - toxicity; Soil Pollutants - toxicity; Stress, Physiological - drug effects; Studies; Toxicity; Waste Water Technology; Water Management; Water Pollution Control; Antioxidant system; Leaf water potential; Electrolyte leakage; Yield; Maximum quantum yield of PSII; Net photosynthetic rate
• ISSN: 0944-1344; 1614-7499
• DOI: 10.1007/s11356-016-6533-4

The effects of foliar application of proline (20 mM) on growth, physio-biochemical, and yield parameters were assessed in two Brassica juncea (L.) Czern & Coss cultivars, namely, Varuna and RH-30, at different levels (2.8, 4.2, or 5.6 dsm −1 ) of NaCl in soil. At 29 days after sowing (DAS), plants were sprayed with either 20 mM proline or water in the presence or absence of NaCl stress. The NaCl negatively affected parameters related to growth, photosynthesis, and yield in both varieties but more in RH-30 than in Varuna. Exogenous application of proline counteracted the effects of salt stress in Varuna only, by increasing the antioxidative capacity of the plants. Moreover, proline was not effective in alleviating the detrimental effects of higher salt concentrations on the studied parameters. Proline application to unstressed plants increased growth, photosynthesis, and yield parameters in both varieties; however, the effects were more prominent in Varuna than in RH-30.