Pseudomonas putida and salicylic acid key players: Impact on arsenic phytotoxicity of quinoa under soil salinity stress

This study was performed in a completely randomized design with a factorial arrangement and three replicates to investigate the effects of salicylic acid (SA) and Pseudomonas putida addition on arsenic (As) remediation efficiency on the quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd) plant under saline soil. The first factor was As (0, 40 mg/kg), the second factor was P. putida (no inoculation and inoculation), and the third factor was SA (0, 0.5 mM). P. putida inoculation in saline soil and foliar spray of SA increased shoot and root dry weights by 60.14% and 68.75%, 1000-grain weight by 71.75%, and proline and catalase activity by 6.20% and 79.48% compared to the control (no inoculation + 0 SA + 40 mg As/kg saline soil). Arsenic-spiked soil, + P. putida inoculation and SA treatments increased shoot dry weight by 63.15% and 1000 grain weight by 39.03%. The arsenic concentration of the root and shoot decreased by 16.20% and 29.37%, respectively, and the bioconcentration factor declined by 23.85% compared to saline-spiked soil. Indicating the superiority of P. putida and SA in reducing the As uptake by root by about 24% less. Bioremediation of As from soil, along with SA, proved very useful in this regard.