Sharif Digital Repository

Soil salinity threatens agricultural production worldwide by constraining plant growth and final crop yield. The early stages are most sensitive to salinity, in response to which salicylic acid (SA) has demonstrated beneficial effects in various plant species. Based on this, a maize (Zea mays L.) pot experiment was set up combining three levels of soil salinity (0, 6 and 12 dS m–1), obtained through NaCl addition, with three levels of SA (0, 300 and 600 mM), applied by leaf spraying 20 days after seedling emergence. Fifteen days later, the following traits were assessed: morphology (plant height, leaf number), growth (root and shoot dry weight), leaf water status [relative water content... 

Water shortage is the main limitation for agricultural production in many parts of the world. Drought or unavailability of water may seriously limit plant growth as well as yield. A pot experiment was carried out to evaluate the effects of various irrigation strategies, i.e., Full (FI), deficit (DI) and partial root-zone drying (PRD) on physiological, biochemical and yield-related attributes of cotton crop. Irrigation treatments started 60 days after planting and lasted for 60 days. For FI and DI, 100% and 50% of evapotranspiration (ET) was replaced by irrigating the entire pot surface every 4–5 days. For PRD, root system was split into two equal halves and during each irrigation event, only... 

Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi are non-specific symbionts developing mutual and beneficial symbiosis with most terrestrial plants. Because of the obligatory nature of the symbiosis, the presence of the host plant during the onset and proceeding of symbiosis is necessary. However, AM fungal spores are able to germinate in the absence of the host plant. The fungi detect the presence of the host plant through some signal communications. Among the signal molecules, which can affect mycorrhizal symbiosis are plant hormones, which may positively or adversely affect the symbiosis. In this review article, some of the most recent findings regarding the signaling effects of plant hormones, on...