Abstract
In the current study, we investigated the effect of potassium humate (Kh) and salicylic acid (SA) in mitigating the salinity stress of common bean plants. Common bean seedlings were treated with 0.2 g/L SA as a foliar application and 0.3 g/L Kh as a soil application individually or in combination. After 7 days of germination, plants were treated with 50 mM NaCl and normal water as a control. Our results indicate that salt treatment reduced the plant growth (fresh and dry shoots and roots), leaf pigments (total chlorophyll and carotenoids), ascorbic acid (AA), glutathione (GSH), and potassium (K) contents. On the contrary, proline content; sodium (Na); hydrogen peroxide (H2O2); superoxide anion (O-2(center dot-)); and antioxidant enzymes, including catalase (CAT), peroxidase (POX), and superoxide dismutase (SOD), were increased by saline stress. However, applying either individual Kh and SA or their combination stimulated seedling growth under salinity stress by increasing growth parameters, leaf pigment contents, AA, GSH, proline content, K content, and antioxidant enzymes compared with the control. Additionally, Na content, H2O2, and O-2(center dot-) were reduced by all applications. The application of the Kh (0.3 g/L) + SA (0.2 g/L) combination was more effective than using the individual compounds. In conclusion, applications of Kh + SA can mitigate salt stress and improve the seedling growth of common bean.