Globally, escalating soil salinization poses significant abiotic stress, disproportionately impacting crops like chickpea (Cicer arientinum L.). This legume exhibits high sensitivity to salinity, which disrupts various physiological and metabolic processes, ultimately hindering growth and productivity. AMF (arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus) reduces salt’s detrimental effects on plants’ growth by bolstering the plant’s antioxidant defense system, effectively reducing the damage caused by oxidative stress. In this study, the impact of AMF on salinity stress alleviation in chickpea was investigated in pot-grown experiments. Rhizophagus fasciculatus was used to inoculate the seeds of three different chickpea varieties (HC-3, CSG-8962, and C-235), and the physiological and biochemical changes of the AMF-inoculated and non-inoculated chickpea plants were studied. When exposed to salinity stress, the plants exhibited decreased leaf relative water content (RWC %) (21.13–31.30%), increased leaf relative stress injury, decreased chlorophyll content (45.22–58.24%), photochemical quantum yield, photosynthetic rate, transpiration rate, and stomatal conductance as compared to the control plants, but opposite results were observed in AMF colonized plants. A 9.16% to 14.79% increase in chlorophyll content was reported after AMF colonization. The activities of antioxidant enzymes such as superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and peroxidase (POX) were increased by salt stress. They were further enhanced by AMF inoculation SOD activity by 20.3% to 23.3%, CAT activity by 65.7% to 78.7%, and POX activity by 32.7% to 39.3%. The findings clearly show that AMF Rhizophagus fasciculatus, via enhancing RWC, photosynthetic parameters, and antioxidant enzymes, can mitigate salinity stress in chickpeas.

Rising global temperatures present a major challenge to summer-season legumes like mungbean, affecting their growth and productivity. Understanding plant anatomical adaptations under high-temperature stress (HTS) is crucial for developing heat-resilient crop varieties. This study aimed to assess the anatomical modifications in three mungbean(Vigna radiata (L.) Wilczek) genotypes (MH 421, MH 1772, and IPM 312-19) under different sowing conditions. The experiment was conducted in a randomized block design (RBD) under field conditions, comparing normal-sown (March, 40°C) crops. Root and stem transverse sections (T.S.) were analyzed to examine variations in xylem vessel characteristics. Results revealed a significant increase in xylem vessel size, thickness, and number under late-sown conditions, indicating structural modifications to cope with heat stress. IPM 312-19 exhibited the highest increase in vessel diameter, with a 32.8% expansion in root T.S. and 38.90% in stem T.S. compared to normal-sown plants. These anatomical changes suggest improved water transport efficiency and turgor maintenance under HTS. This study provides novel insights into xylem plasticity in mungbean, contributing to a better understanding of legume heat adaptation mechanisms. The findings can aid in breeding and selecting heat-tolerant mungbean genotypes, ensuring sustainable yields under rising temperatures.

Salinity stress is a major abiotic constraint limiting crop productivity worldwide. Sorghum bicolor is an important cereal crop cultivated in semiarid regions and exhibits moderate tolerance to salinity stress. Therefore, the present study evaluated the effects of foliar application of salicylic acid (SA) and silicon (Si) on the physiological, biochemical, and yield attributes of sorghum under saline conditions. Greenhouse pot experiments were conducted during Kharif 2020 and 2021 at CCS Haryana Agricultural University using sorghum cultivar HJ 513. The experiment was conducted in a factorial completely randomized design with three replications under three salinity levels (0, 7.5, and 10.0 dS m⁻¹ NaCl). Salicylic acid (0, 1.0, 1.5, and 2.0 mM) and silicon (0.5, 1.0, and 1.5 mM) treatments were applied separately as foliar sprays at the flowering stage, and pooled data from two years were statistically analyzed. Salinity stress significantly reduced plant height, leaf area, biomass accumulation, relative water content (RWC), chlorophyll content, SPAD value, and seed yield compared with the control treatment (untreated), while malondialdehyde (MDA) content and electrolyte leakage increased under saline conditions. Foliar application of SA (1.5 mM) and Si (1.5 mM) significantly improved RWC, chlorophyll content, SPAD value, and yield traits while reducing MDA accumulation and electrolyte leakage under salt stress conditions. Significant positive correlations were observed among physiological, biochemical, and yield parameters. The results indicate that exogenous application of SA and Si alleviated salinity-induced damage and improved stress tolerance in sorghum under greenhouse conditions. Therefore, SA and Si may serve as promising management strategies for improving sorghum performance under saline environments. Further studies under field conditions and at the molecular level are needed to validate the long-term effectiveness of SA and Si application for improving salinity tolerance in sorghum.