PGRs and nutrient consortium effect on water relations, photosynthesis, catalase enzyme and yield of blackgram under salinity stress

An experiment was conducted to study the effect of plant growth regulators namely jasmonic acid (50 ?M), brassinolide (0.5 ppm), salicylic acid (100 ppm), ascorbic acid (100 ppm), gibberellic acid (10 ppm), benzyl amino purine (5 ppm) and nutrient consortium (K₂SO₄ (0.5%) + FeSO₄ (0.5%) + Borax (0.3%) and TNAU Pulse Wonder (1%) on blackgram (Vigna mungo L.) variety TNAU (Blackgram) CO 6 under salinity condition. The salinity was imposed by 125 mM NaCl concentration in pot culture. Plant growth regulators and nutrient consortium were used as foliar spray at 20 and 40 days after sowing except jasmonic acid, which used as seed soaking. Under salinity stress, water potential, relative water content (RWC), photosynthetic rate, chlorophyll index and yield were significantly reduced as compared to control. Among the treatments, brassinolide and TNAU Pulse Wonder showed supremacy to enhance water potential, RWC and yield compared to other treatments. Salicylic acid performed better to stabilize the photosynthetic rate under salinity followed by TNAU Pulse Wonder. Benzyl amino purine had higher chlorophyll index than other treatments. Increased catalase activity was observed in brassinolide treated plants followed by salicylic acid and ascorbic acid under salinity.