Induction of salt tolerance in pepper (Capsicum annuum) by 24-epibrassinolide

In order to study the effectiveness of brassinosteroids on the amelioration of the inhibitory effect of salinity on pepper plants, a short-term experiment was conducted in greenhouse to test different concentrations of 24-epibrassinolide (0.0, 0.01, 0.05, 0.1, and 0.5 mg L -1 ) by foliar application on growth, relative water contents and chlorophyll fluorescence of pepper (Capsicum annuum cv. Beldi) plants irrigated with salt water (0.4 g L-1 NaCl). Salt decreases the different parameters of growth. However, its effects were more pronounced on the shoot than root growth. An exogenous supply of 24-epibrassinolide was found to be successful in alleviating of the inhibitory effects of salt stress on shoot growth parameters and the leaf relative water contents. However, non-significant effect of 24-epibrassinolide was observed on root growth and chlorophyll fluorescence. Out of the five concentrations, the effects of 0.5 mg L-1 proved the best under stress conditions.