Enhancing wheat resistance to salinity: The role of gibberellic acid and β-Carotene in morphological, yielding and ionic adaptations

Salinity is highly toxic to wheat growth.Both -carotene and gibberellic acid can mitigate the saline toxicity in wheat, independently and in combined form, by positively impacting growth and yield under saline conditions.To explore our hypothesis two wheat varieties (Faisalabad-2008 and Galaxy-2013) were grown in the sand medium under two levels of salinity (0 mM and 150 mM) nourished with Hoagland's solution and sprayed with four different foliar approaches (water spray = T 0 , 0.75 mM GA 3 = T 1 , 0.25 mM -carotene = T 2 , 0.75 mM GA 3 + 0.25 mM -carotene = T 3 ).Salinity comprehensively decreased the growth metrics of wheat.While foliar applications of 0.75 mM GA 3 0.25 mM -carotene significantly mitigate this toxicity by physiological alterations.Shoot fresh weight (p < 0.001) (maximum at T 3 , root fresh weight (p < 0.05) maximum at T 2 , Shoot dry weight (p < 0.01) maximum at T 3 reflect significant mitigation under salinity while root dry weight, shoot length, and root length non-significant response.Leaf calcium (p < 0.01) and root sodium (p < 0.001) readings showed much positive response at T 3 .Flavonoids (p < 0.05) maximum at T 3 , free proline (p < 0.01) maximum at T 3 , ascorbic acid (p < 0.05) maximum at T 3, and seeds weight (p < 0.001) Maximum at T 1 .Overall Faisalabad-2008 performed better in saline conditions when treated with foliar application of GA 3 and -carotene (water spray = T 0 , 0.75 mM GA 3 = T 1 , 0.25 mM -carotene = T 2 , 0.75 mM GA 3 + 0.25 mM -carotene = T 3 ).This study is recommended for the growth of wheat cultivars by foliar applications of GA 3 and -carotene under salt stress.