Effects of spraying jasmonic acid on some morpho-physiological traits, antioxidant enzymes activity and essential oil yield of Salvia officinalis L. under drought stress

Water deficit stress is a major environmental limiting factor for plant growth and crop productivity. In present investigation, to study the effects of jasmonic acid on reducing the damage caused by drought on growth parameters, some physiological and antioxidant responses on Salvia officinalis L., a factorial experiment in a completely randomized design with three replications was conducted at the University of Zabol. The experimental treatments included drought stress (irrigated in field capacity, depletion of soil water content up to 50% and 75% of FC condition) and foliar jasmonic acid spray (0, 75 and 150 mg.l-1). The results showed that spraying with a concentration of 150 (mg. l-1) jasmonic acid under drought stress increased the height (% 10.02), fresh and dry weight (27.88% and 12.81%), relative water content (21.04%) and chlorophyll a and b content (12.15% and 10.34%). The highest phenolic content (34.13 mg-1fw), proline concentration (5.52 mg-1fw), essential oil yield (2.1 mg-1fw) and the activities of peroxidase (3.15 mg-1fw) and guaiacol peroxidase (0.76 mg-1fw) were obtained in plants sprayed with 150mg.l-1 jasmonic acidand in depletion of soil water content up to 75% of FC. On the other hand, the highest ascorbate peroxidase (0.76 mg-1fw), superoxide dismutase (5.64 mg-1fw) and catalase (5.12 mg-1fw), were obtained in plants sprayed with 150 mg -1 jasmonic acid under drought stress (depletion of soil water content up to 75 and 50% FC). Based on our results, it seemed that Jasmonic acid, with increasing antioxidant defense and accumulation of osmotic regulators (such as proline), reduced the oxidative stress in plants under drought stress. Moreover, maintaining the relative water content and photosynthetic pigment improved growth conditions of sage plants in drought conditions.