Priming Induction in Neighbouring Plants of Gossypium hirsutum under Salt Stress

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Plants are subjected to various types of environmental stresses throughout their lifecycle. It has been found that plants are able to communicate with the neighbouring plants under stress conditions through volatile organic compounds. These volatiles act as signals for the neighbouring plants thus preparing them for the upcoming stress, a phenomenon known as priming. So, the present study explores the effects of salt stress on cotton plants and the resultant induction of priming in the nearby plants. For this purpose, salt tolerant cotton (Gossypium hirsutum) variety was used. Two concentration levels, 100 mM, and 150 mM of salt were used to study the impacts of the stress. The experiment was divided into two steps for each treatment. In the first step, a set of plants (emitters) was given salt stress. The second set of plants (receivers) was placed adjacent to the stressed plants (emitters), while the third set of plants was placed separately as a control for both the treatments. Various physiological and morphological parameters were measured at the beginning and the end of the first step. In the second step, the receiver plants now termed as "primed" were given the same levels of stress while a new set of non-primed plants was placed near the primed plants. These non-primed plants were now treated with 100mM and 150mM of NaCl respectively and the results were compared. The results show that plants were able to get signals from neighbouring stressed plants. Plants responded by altering morphology and physiology to prepare themselves for future stress conditions.