Vegetos
(An International Journal of Plant Research & Biotechnology)
(eISSN: 2229-4473)
Mitigating salinity stress in wheat: employing biochemical parameters and stress tolerance index with foliar application of potassium and salicylic acid
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Ugulu Ilker, Khan Zafar Iqbal, Shaheen Farzana, Ashraf Muhammad Yasin, Ahmad Kafeel
Research Articles | Published: 29 May, 2026
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Keywords: Salicylic acid, Potassium, Wheat (Triticum aestivum), Salinity stress
Abstract
This study evaluates the effectiveness of foliar applications of potassium (K) and salicylic acid (SA) in diminishing salinity stresses on biochemical characteristics of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). Two wheat cultivars were used: salt tolerant (WL-711) and salt sensitive (Kohistan-97). The experiment applied potassium (0.05%, 0.1% and 0.15%) and salicylic acid (0.01%, 0.02% and 0.03%) foliar applications under saline conditions (12 dS/m). A Stress Tolerance Index (STI) was calculated to examine performance and salt stress adaptability of wheat genotypes under saline conditions. The study found that total soluble proteins (TSP), total soluble sugars (TSS), total free amino acids (TFAA), nitrate reductase activity (NRA) and nitrite reductase activity (NiRA) significantly increased in wheat plants from foliar applications of K and SA. Specifically, the use of 0.1% K and 0.02% SA was beneficial increasing the biochemical parameters of WL-711 and decreasing negative aspects of salt stress. STI revealed that the salinity tolerant wheat genotype used WL-711 over Kohistan-97. The study reveals the use of K and SA foliar application may be a feasible and cost-effective option to improve wheat salinity tolerance and possibly increase wheat production potential in saline environments.
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Author Information
Special Education Department, Usak University, Usak, Turkey