Toxicity of heavy-metals in soil is a major constraint for the production of carrots (Daucus carota L.). Different plant growth regulators are being used to overcome this problem. It has been found that plant growth regulators induce stress tolerance in plants. In this study, the role of exogenously applied plant growth regulator, gibberellic acid (GA₃) was examined in soil grown two carrot cultivars under four different levels of lead (0, 50, 100, and 150 mg/kg) with one level of gibberellic acid (50 ppm). Results showed that Pb stress retarded the plant growth and reduced chlorophyll contents in the leaves of both carrot cultivars. A significant decrease was observed in photosynthetic attributes by Pb addition alone. However, exogenously applied GA₃ ameliorated the plant growth and chlorophyll contents in the leaves of both carrot cultivars under Pb stressed conditions. Moreover, GA₃ also decreased the uptake of Pb concentration in carrot leaves and roots. In addition, GA₃ significantly regulated the phenolic compounds concentration in both carrot cultivars under Pb stress. In this study, cultivar T-29 was found to be more tolerant to Pb stress, however, cultivar Mevarick experienced higher damage regarding plant growth under Pb stress.

Tri-genomic Brassica napus L.wasdeveloped by the cross between Brassica napusand Brassica nigra. The crop is animportant source of vegetable seed oil in Pakistan,after cotton. The low oilseed rape yield is attributed to high temperature in the production zones. Interspecific hybridization using these two speciescan be helpful to produce heat resistant hybrids. On the other hand, it has been found that foliar application of different plant growth regulators can be used to reduce the heat stress in Brassica. The objectiveof this studywas to test the response of three different tri-genomic hybrids to high temperature stressat seedling stage. Seedlings were foliar sprayed with 0.13 mM salicylic acid (SA) prior to exposure tohigh temperatureat two true leaf stage. The plants were harvested after 30 days of sowing for growth and biochemical analysis. Plants ofV38 showed the highest values for all morphological traits and biochemical activities among the threehybrids. In general, plants exposed to the temperature stress exhibited a significant decline in growth, chlorophyll content and enzyme activity.Foliar application of SA significantly improved leaf and root biomass under heat stress.Further, antioxidativeenzyme activities significantly increased in response to SA either compared to control or to plants exposed to temperature stress.It is concluded thatapplication of salicylic acid elevated activity of antioxidative enzymes and was helpful in mitigating the detrimental effects of high temperature inoil seed rape.

One of the vegetables, in which significant efforts are being done in the last years for interspecific breeding from related species for adaptation to climate change, is the common eggplant (Solanum melongena) (^{Liu et al., 2015}; ^{Plazas et al., 2016}). The eggplant belongs to the Solanaceae family, which is a highly valuable horticultural crop grown all over the world and it is of substantial economic importance in Asia, Africa, and the subtropics (^{Collonnier et al., 2001}). It is a good source of proteins, minerals, and antioxidant and also has medicinal value (^{Magioli & Mansur, 2005}). However, its production is severely threatened by several soil-borne and foliar diseases, insect-pests, drought, heat and frost damage, which reduce yield (^{Collonnier et al., 2001}). Therefore, efforts to transfer useful resistance genes into eggplant from the wild relatives are important because of the lack of resistance in common eggplant gene pool.

| The lab experiment was conducted in 2016-2017, to evaluate the influence of storage at room condition on sweetening and other chemical components of potato tubers in Swat District, Pakistan. Tubers of the three cultivars, Desiree Diamont and Kruda were stored at room condition in three replications for 90 days. Data was recorded at 0 day (fresh) and at 15 days interval on Reducing Sugars (RS), Total Sugars (TS), Dry Matter (DM), Total Starch (TS), and Vitamin C. The total sugars and reducing sugars increased in the first 15 days in Kruda and Diamont, whereas in Desiree, it decreased from the start-up to the end of storage. Starch content in Kruda cultivar decreased regularly and the lowest quantity was recorded after 45 days of storage while in Diamont and Desiree, it showed increase and reached its peak level after 30 and 45 days of storage. The Cultivar Means showed that the highest dry matter (21.605 %) was recorded in Diamont while the lowest was recorded in Desiree cultivar. Vitamin C decreased significantly in Diamont and Desiree cultivars in first 45 days of storage while minimum vitamin C was recorded in Kruda cultivar after 60 days of storage. The total decrease in Vitamin C remained about of 76 % throughout the 90 % storage. It is concluded that sweetening decreased in all cultivars during 90 days storage period at room condition. (Temperature 9- 18 o C). In Desiree cultivar, starch content is little affected by change storage duration, in case of sweeting i.e reducing sugar and total sugar did not occur in Desiree up to 90 days of storage. Therefore, the Desiree has maintained edible quality up to three months storage.