Foeniculum vulgare (fennel) is a medicinal and aromatic plant species from Apiaceae (Umbelliferae) and has been extensively used to treat digestive and pulmonary diseases. This plant is relatively sensitive to salinity. To investigate the effect of salinity stress at levels of 0, 40, and 80 mM NaCl in combination with 0 and 5% v/v vermicompost mixed with soil on the growth as well as the physiological and biochemical traits of two fennel landraces planted in Urmia and Shiraz areas, a factorial experiment was conducted as a randomized complete block design in three replications under greenhouse conditions. The plants were sampled in the flowering stage eleven weeks after cultivation. As the results showed, vermicompost treatment together with salinity stress could enhance the growth traits of the plants, such as the length and dry weight of shoots; leaf area and dry weight of roots; photosynthetic pigments, i.e., chlorophylls and carotenoids; membrane stability index; relative water content, soluble sugar, soluble protein, proline, total phenol, and anthocyanin in the shoots; mineral elements, i.e., phosphate, nitrate, zinc, molybdenum, magnesium, and iron in the shoots; and potassium and calcium in the shoots and roots. The interaction of vermicompost and salinity also decreased the aldehydes, total flavonoids, activity of catalase enzyme and shoot starch, soluble sugar and root proline, and sodium content of both shoots and roots. In a comparison of the two studied fennel landraces, the Shiraz landrace emerged to be less affected by salinity stress. In saline conditions, vermicompost caused a change in the physiological and biochemical parameters of both fennel landraces and improved their growth. The improvement in the growth conditions in the Urmia landrace was more obvious due to the use of vermicompost. Using vermicompost plus 40 mM NaCl salinity, the dry weight of the shoot and leaf surface of the Urmia landrace increased by about 3 and 2.5 times, respectively, and under 80 mM NaCl, the dry weight of the shoot and leaf surface increased by 2.7 and 1.2 times compared to the control. According to the experiments, it seems that vermicompost can limit the harmful effects of salinity on fennel plants by affecting photosynthetic pigments, osmolytes, phenolic compounds, antioxidants, the stability of membranes, and the availability of water and essential minerals.

Water stress, a main factor, exerts influence on the physiological and phytochemical responses of plants. Therefore, to scrutinize the physiological and biochemical reactions of Scrophularia striata under drought stress, a factorial experiment was conducted employing a completely randomized design with three replications plants were subjected to varying concentrations of salicylic acid (0 and 100 PPM), silicon (0 and 1 g/L), and drought stress at two levels (50 and 100% of field capacity) within greenhouse conditions. Data analysis results revealed that drought stress leads to an increase in Ca⁺² and Na⁺ levels in Ilam ecotype under the FC50% treatment. Additionally, Mg⁺² levels in Ilam ecotype, under the control × SA treatment, exhibit an augmentation in comparison to the stress treatment. The application of silicon resulted in an elevation of potassium in Abadanan ecotype under the FC50% treatment. Simultaneous utilization of SA and Si would demonstrate an increased K⁺/Na⁺ ratio in Ilam ecotype within the control × SA × Si treatment. Nitrate levels exhibit an increase in Ilam ecotype under the FC50% × SA × Si treatment. The analysis of amino acid compounds in the tested samples showed that drought stress increased Tryptophan in Ilam ecotype in the FC50% treatment, using SA increased Tryptophan, Phenylalanine and using Si increased Argenine and Valine. 45volatile compounds were identified for the first time in the stem of S. striata by technique (GC-MS). In general, the results the simultaneous use of these two compounds can play an effective role in modulating drought stress in S. striata.