EVALUATION OF THE EFFECT OF EXOGENOUS APPLICATION OF INDOLE-3-ACETIC ACID ON MORPHOPHYSIOLOGICAL PARAMETERS UNDER SALT (NaCl) STRESS IN COTTON (G. hirsutum L.)

Soil salinity is caused by a high concentration of soluble salts that retain water in the soil and accentuate the problem of desertification.In this research, the effect of Indole-3-Acetic Acid (IAA) on germination parameters, total chlorophyll content and morphometric parameters of cotton seedlings under stress conditions of 100 mM and 200 mM NaCl was evaluated in 5 cultivars.An increase in final germination percentage (FGP) was determined in all cultivars affected by IAA in the control variant and in 3 cultivars under both stress conditions.Among the genotypes treated with IAA under 250 mM concentration of NaCl, the highest value of germination index was observed in Bless (176) and Livzara (181) varieties.Treatment with IAA at a concentration of 250 mM salt caused an increase in total chlorophyll content (TCC) in all genotypes.The application of IAA in Ayzek variety caused an increase in the height and mass of the root and shoot only under the condition of plant growth regulator (PGR) + without NaCl.