Production of pulse and soybean crops is hampered by excessive moisture that causes a significant yield loss. This study assessed the effect of three plant growth regulators (PGR) on enhancing pea and soybean performance under excessive moisture conditions. Pea and soybean seeds were treated with solutions of varying concentrations of the different PGRs and grown in above-normal soil moisture conditions. Germination, seedling growth and physiological responses were evaluated.
Under normal moisture conditions, treated and untreated seeds had similar germination percentages for peas and soybeans.
Under normal soil moisture conditions, seedlings from treated and untreated seeds had similar shoot and root growth. However, under excess soil moisture conditions, pea and soybean seedlings treated with PGR compounds, especially those treated with GR2 and GR3, showed better shoot and root growth in terms of weight and length than those grown from untreated seeds.
Growth regulators improved the growth and performance of seedlings under excess soil moisture by enhancing their physiological response. In this study, we compared five physiological parameters between treated and untreated control plants. The results show that treatment of seeds with two of the growth regulating compounds, GR2 and GR3, enhanced the physiological responses of pea seedlings growing under excess water conditions, and these physiological effects have the potential to confer seedlings the capacity to withstand stress induced injuries.