Short Communication
Mohamed A Seif El Yazal, Moham
Abstract
Common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) is an important legume plant for local consumption and exportation, which strongly affected by salt stress. The objective of this study was to assess whether maize grains extract (MGE) could play a role in improving salt tolerance in bean plants. The MGE was exogenously applied as a seed soaking or foliar spraying to plants under salt stress (EC = 7.43–7.51 dS mâ??1) in two field experiments during 2014 and 2015 seasons. The effect of MGE on the growth and yield characteristics, physio-biochemical attributes, antioxidants and mineral nutrients of bean plants exposed to salt stress was assessed. The MGE-treated plants exposed to salt stress had higher growth and yield characteristics, leaf photosynthetic pigments, leaf tissue health in terms of relative water content and membrane stability index, concentrations of soluble sugars, free proline, ascorbic acid and mineral nutrients compared to MGE-untreated plants. Application of MGE as a mixture of aqueous extract: alcoholic extract at a rate of 1: 1 (v/v) was found to be more effective in alleviating salt stress damages in common bean plants compared to MGE as aqueous or alcoholic extract.