Exogenous application of gibberellic acid counteracts the effect of sodium chloride in mustard

Abstract

The response of mustard (Brassicajuncea (L.) Czern & Coss cv. Varuna) to presowing seed treatment with sodium chloride (NaCI) was investigated. The plants raised from treated seeds were sprayed with water or $10^{-6}$ M $GA_3$ at the 30- day stage. The seeds imbibed in 1 or 10 mM of NaCI resulted in a decrease in dry mass, leaf chlorophyll content, carbonic anhydrase activity (E.C. 4.2.1.1), nitrate reductase activity (E.C. 1.6.6.1) and net photosynthetic rate at the 60-day stage, and pod number and seed yield at harvest. However, spray application of $GA_3$ neutralized the ill effect of soaking treatment in NaCI (1 or 10 mM).