Improving drought tolerance and essential oil in Nigella sativa through salicylic acid seed priming

Subject Areas : Plant Physiology

Esmail Nabizadeh ^{1 *} , Ali Esmzadeh ² , Khadijeh Ahmadi ³

1 - Institute of Agriculture, Water, Food, and Nutraceuticals, Mah. C., , Mahabad, Iran
2 - Institute of Agriculture, Water, Food, and Nutraceuticals, Mah. C., Islamic Azad University, Mahabad, Iran
3 - Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, Shahed University, Tehran, Iran

Received: 2025-05-13 Accepted : 2025-06-18 Published : 2025-08-25

Keywords: drought, essential oil, Nigella sativa, salicylic acid, seed priming,

Abstract :

This research investigated how salicylic acid (SA) seed priming influences the growth performance and essential oil content of Nigella sativa L. when exposed to varying degrees of drought stress during the 2023–2024 season in Mahabad, Iran. A factorial experiment arranged in a randomized complete block design with three replications was implemented. Treatments involved three irrigation frequencies (7, 14, and 21 days) and four SA concentrations (0, 1000, 2000, and 3000 µM). The findings indicated significant impacts of both drought levels and SA applications on parameters such as plant height, capsule count per plant, seed number per capsule, biological and grain yield, and essential oil yield. Interaction between SA concentration and irrigation frequency significantly affected seed yield. Drought reduced all measured traits, whereas seed priming with 2000 µM SA consistently led to superior values. The combination of 14-day irrigation and 2000 µM SA was optimal for both seed and oil production. These outcomes highlight SA priming as a promising strategy for enhancing drought resilience in Nigella sativa.

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