Effect of a growth regulator on the salt resistance of soybean Zheng 196 at the seeding stage

Abstract

Soil salinity is an increasingly pressing issue for global agriculture. Of the 230 million hectares of irrigated farmland worldwide, 20% is affected by salinity, and this percentage continues to rise annually due to improper irrigation practices. Consequently, advancing research into salt tolerance presents an appealing and cost effective solution for addressing this challenge. The main goal of this study was to examine the effectiveness of a growth regulator in increasing salt tolerance in soybeans at the seedling stage. A hydroponic experiment on soybeans was conducted at the Henan Institute of Science and Technology, Xinxiang, China. The seedlings were grown in an artificial climate chamber. Superoxide dismutase activity was measured using a reference method involving nitrotetrazolium blue chloride, while ascorbate peroxidase activity was measured using a standard assay. The use of growth regulators has been shown to mitigate the damage caused by salt stress in plants. In this study, the ability of the growth regulator to alleviate salt stress during the seedling stage of the soybean variety Zheng 196 was evaluated through analysis and measurement of antioxidant enzymes and malondialdehyde. This process provided indirect verification of its role in enhancing the salt resistance of soybean seedlings. The activities of ascorbate peroxidase and catalase were found to increase significantly at a salt concentration of 100 mmol/L, reaching 30% and 35.96%, respectively, while malondialdehyde levels were significantly reduced by 33% under the same conditions. These results offer valuable insights for the development of new growth regulators and scientifically support their feasibility in addressing the current trend of increasing soil salinity.