Mitigating selenium stress in <i>Cyphomandra betacea</i> seedlings through salicylic acid‐induced growth and selenium uptake

Abstract To mitigate selenium (Se) stress in Cyphomandra betacea , the effects of salicylic acid (SA) on the growth and Se absorption of C. betacea seedlings under Se stress were investigated in this study through a pot experiment. SA was found to enhance the biomass of various organs in C. betacea seedlings, with the optimal concentration being 150 mg/L. Compared to control, the concentration of 150 mg/L SA resulted in a 52.55% increase in root biomass and a 37.68% increase in shoot biomass. Additionally, SA was found to increase the levels of photosynthetic pigments, net photosynthetic rate, transpiration rate, stomatal conductance, and intercellular CO 2 concentration of C. betacea seedlings. SA also led to an increase in the antioxidant enzyme activity and soluble protein content of C. betacea seedlings. Furthermore, SA increased the Se contents in various organs of C. betacea seedlings, with the most effective concentration being 150 mg/L. At this concentration, the contents of root Se and shoot Se increased by 29.74% and 30.69%, respectively, compared to control. Correlation and gray relational analyses indicated that the chlorophyll b content, net photosynthetic rate, and shoot biomass were the most closely related to the shoot Se content. In conclusion, SA can effectively mitigate Se stress in C. betacea , and promote its growth and Se absorption, with the most effective concentration being 150 mg/L.