Gibberellic acid assisted modulations in growth, morphology and antioxidant activity of marigold (Tagetes erecta L.) grown in saline soil

The present study was conducted to evaluate the effect of gibberellic acid (GA 3 ) on the growth, morphology, and antioxidants activity of marigold ( Tagetes erecta ) subjected to salt stress. A pot experiment was carried out in completely randomized design with 16 treatments of NaCl and GA 3 , either alone or in combination. After 15 days of plant transplantation, NaCl (0, 50, 100 and 150 mM) stress was given to the plantlets of Tagetes erecta and at the same time foliar application of gibberellic acid (0, 150, 250 and 350 ppm) was applied. The findings of study revealed that NaCl reduced the growth of all parameters which were studied as compared to GA 3 treated plants and control. The exogenously applied gibberellic acid improved the growth of NaCl treated plants by alleviating the level of antioxidant enzymes such as peroxidase, superoxide dismutase and catalase. Overall, the results indicate that exogenously applied GA 3 can partially mitigate the NaCl induced stress in Tagetes erecta, highlighting its role in improving the growth of plants under saline conditions.