Exogenous Methyl Jasmonate Acclimate Morpho-Physiological, Ionic and Gas Exchange Attributes of Wheat Genotypes (Triticum aestivum L.) under Salt Stress

Salinity is a serious menace that has a significant influence on sustainability of agriculture and threatens food security of the world. Methyl jasmonate appeared to be an important modulator with different specific functions in plants and increase the resistance against different abiotic stresses. A hydroponic study was performed with three salt (control, 100 mM and 200 mM NaCl) and two methyl jasmonate concentrations (50 mu M and 100 mu M) applied in sole and integrate form. Methyl jasmonate treated plants exhibits improved growth mass and antioxidant safeguard. The imposition of salt in growth medium drastically reduced the plant growth, physiological, gas exchange, ionic and biochemical attributes. Application of methyl jasmonate significantly alleviated the deleterious effects of salinity by depicting the improvement in plant biomass, RWC, MSI, transpiration rate, photosynthetic rate, stomatal conductance, internal CO2 concentration, chlorophyll contents, oxidative stress indicators, activity of antioxidant enzymes (POD, CAT, APX and SOD) and K+/Na+ ratio. The results also disclose that response of wheat genotypes against methyl jasmonate application under saline condition show a concentration effect and varietal diversity. Moreover, the application of 100 mu M methyl jasmonate under low and elevated salt concentration shows prominent response towards wheat genotype Faislabad-2008 while least response was observed in wheat genotype Victoria.