Exogenous Application of Gibberellic Acid Counteracts the Ill Effect of Sodium Chloride in Mustard

The response of mustard (Brassica juncea (L.) Czern Coss cv. Varuna) to presowing seed treatment with sodium chloride(NaCl) was investigated. The plants raised from treated seeds were sprayed with water or 10-6 M GA3 at the 30- day stage. Theseeds imbibed in 1 or 10 mM of NaCl resulted in a decrease in dry mass, leaf chlorophyll content, carbonic anhydrase activity (E.C.4.2.1.1), nitrate reductase activity (E.C. 1.6.6.1) and net photosynthetic rate at the 60-day stage, and pod number and seed yieldat harvest. However, spray application of GA3 neutralized the ill effect of soaking treatment in NaCl (1 or 10 mM).