Enhancing Cowpea Resilience: Role of Putrescine and Salicylic Acid in Mitigating Salt Stress Effects on Germination, Early Growth and Biochemical Content

Salinity is one of the most important abiotic stresses limiting the productivity of agricultural production. Putrescine and salicylic acid are recognized for their pivotal roles in facilitating physiological and metabolic processes in plants, while also enhancing the plant’s resilience to various abiotic stressors. The present study investigated the effects of exogenous putrescine and salicylic acid treatments on germination, growth and biochemical properties of cowpea under salt stress. Putrescine and salicylic acid treatments significantly alleviated the negative effects of salt stress by improving the germination and growth under salinity. 1.0 mM Putrescine + 100 mM Sodium chloride treatment increased germination by 48.59% and plumule length by 19.44% and 0.5 mM Putrescine + 100 mM Sodium chloride treatment increased the seedling fresh weight by 29.85%, seedling height by 13.81% and chlorophyll by 19.47% compared to the 100 mM Sodium chloride treatment. Accordingly, 0.5 and 1.0 mM Putrescine under 100 mM Sodium chloride salt stress were found as the most effective treatments against salt stress. In conclusion, based on the beneficial effects of putrescine and salicylic acid on cowpea under salt stress, it can be said that these treatments are promising in reducing the negative effects of saltiness in cultivation in saline soils.