Possible Role of Methyl jasmonate in protection to NaCl – induced salt stress in pepper cv. Green Hashemi

The role of methyl jasmonate (MeJA) in alleviating NaCl – induced salt stress was studied on pepper cv. Green Hashemi growth. The objective of this study was to analyze the effect of irrigation with saline water on responses of pepper plants. Pepper seedlings were exposed to 50 mM NaCl stress for 4 weeks, 24 hours after the application of 500 and 1000 mgL-1 MeJA. Concentration of 50 mM NaCl adversely effected shoot and root fresh and dry weight, root length and diameter, chlorophyll content and leaf number while, seedling treated with MeJA at 500 mgL-1 was shown significantly better results over the 1000 mgL-1 MeJA and seedling stressed with sole NaCl application, by improvement in root length, shoot and root fresh weight. MeJA treated seedling exhibited significantly higher content of chlorophyll than NaCl stressed plants. Collectively, these results demonstrated that MeJA apears to chang the growth rate of pepper rendering the seedling better able to withstand salinity

Keywords:

Methyl jasmonate , Pepper , Salinity stress