Effects of Salicylic Acid on Barley Growth and Productivity under Cadmium Stress Conditions in Rania, Kurdistan Region, Iraq
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.21928/uhdjst.v9n2y2025.pp276-286Keywords:
Antioxidant, Cadmium Stress, Heavy Metal, Hordeum Vulgar L, Salicylic AcidAbstract
Plant health and agricultural productivity are seriously threatened by heavy metal contamination. Due to the expansion of cereal agricultural lands into marginal areas close to urban areas and unpaved roads that are polluted by many pollutants, especially that of cadmium (Cd), this study examined the effects of Cd and salicylic acid (SA) separately and in combination on the growth, physiological, biochemical, and reproductive responses of barley (Hordeum vulgare L.). Three SA treatments (0, 86, and 172 mg/kg soil) and four Cd concentrations (0, 10, 20, and 30 mg/kg soil) were used in a factorial pot experiment. The findings showed that high Cd (Cd30) reduced vegetative growth but increased spike number and harvest index, indicating reproductive compensation, moderate Cd levels (Cd20) improved some growth traits, including plant height by 4.00% and flag leaf area by 13.11% compared to the control treatment, suggesting a possible hormetic effect. Particularly under moderate Cd stress, SA at 86 mg/kg markedly enhanced plant height, yield components, and antioxidant balance. On the other hand, SA at 172 mg/kg increased grain number and spike length but decreased overall yield, as a result of metabolic effects and hormonal interferences. Under extreme stress, endogenous defense mechanisms might be sufficient, and external SA could upset homeostasis, according to the interaction effects, which showed that Cd20 × SA86 maximized growth and productivity while Cd30 × SA0 produced an increase in grain and biological yields by an amount of 10.95 and 9.73%, respectively, compared to the control treatment. These results show that the performance of growth and yield components of H. vulgare L. was significantly and variably affected by both Cd and SA, both separately and in combination, depending on the concentration and the interaction. Data suggest that SA is most effective at moderate Cd stress levels.
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