ELUCIDATING THE POSSIBLE ROLE OF PLANT GROWTH REGULATOR IN IMPROVING NUTRITIONAL STATUS OF Plantago ovata UNDER SALINITY STRESS

Plant growth and development processes are affected under environmental/abiotic stresses. Salinity limits rooting system regarding uptake of essential nutrient that is required for plant growth and development. A field experiment was conducted at the Botanical Garden University of Balochistan Quetta to explore the role of Plant Growth Regulators (PGRs) i.e., Proline (PRO; 1 µM), Moringa leaf extract (MLE; 10%), Thiourea (TU; 10 mM) and Salicylic acid (SA; 250 µM) on nutritional status of Plantago ovata under (120 mM) salinity stress (SS). After 10 days of germination seedlings were subjected to salinity stress (in comparison to control field plants) and after 1 week of salinity stress plants were foliarly supplemented with optimized levels of PGRs. Moreover, later one week of foliar spray plants was harvested and analyzed for nutrient status. Data revealed statistically significant results except for shoot calcium (P< 0.05). Salinity hampered the essential nutrients (Magnesium, Calcium, Potassium and Nitrate); however, the contents of Na+ enhanced in both Root and Shoot under salinity stress. However, foliar application of PGRs improved the essential nutrients of Plantago ovata (Mg+2, Ca+2, K+ and NO3-) except in the case of Na+ that is decreased under foliar supplementation thus defining the positive role of PGRs in ameliorating the toxic impacts of salinity. It is concluded that exogenous application of PGRs recommended for improved nutritional status of plants under stress condition with MLE and TU to be the most effective treatment under salinity stress.