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Gibberellins (GA) are the decisive players in seed germination whose functionality could be adversely affected by the presence of cadmium (Cd); however, the underlying mechanisms are unclear. Eco-toxicological effects of Cd (0, 25, 50, 75, and 100 µM) on the early stages of ontogenesis in a mung bean variety (ML-2056) were investigated. Seed germination characteristics along with Cd-tolerance index were recorded at the seventh day of germination. Additionally, endogenous gibberellic acid (GA3) level, amylase activity, oxidative stress, and the antioxidant defense system were also investigated in Cd-stressed germinating seedlings. Results revealed that Cd reduced seed germination and interfered with GA synthesis in a concentration-dependent manner. Further, to validate the role of GA in Cd-tolerance, experiments were executed to explore the effect of seed priming with GA3 and its biosynthesis inhibitor paclobutrazol (PBZ) on ML-2056 under Cd stress. Application of GA3 improved the activities of amylase and carbohydrate-metabolizing enzymes, the antioxidant defense system, and sustained lower H2O2 and TBARS contents, whereas PBZ caused a significant reduction in growth and decreased endogenous GA3 content in Cd-stressed ML-2056, suggesting a crucial role of GA synthesis in reversing Cd-induced negative effects. Overall, GA synthesis played a crucial role in mitigating Cd toxicity in mung bean, which might be used as a criterion for developing Cd-stress-tolerant genotypes.

Heavy metal (HM) accumulation in the agricultural soil and its toxicity is a major threat for plant growth and development. HMs disrupt functional integrity of the plants, induces altered phenological and physiological responses and slashes down qualitative crop yield. Chemical messengers such as phytohormones, plant growth regulators and gasotransmitters play a crucial role in regulating plant growth and development under metal toxicity in plants. Understanding the intricate network of these chemical messengers as well as interactions of genes/metabolites/proteins associated with HM toxicity in plants is necessary for deciphering insights into the regulatory circuit involved in HM tolerance. The present review describes (a) the role of chemical messengers in HM-induced toxicity mitigation, (b) possible crosstalk between phytohormones and other signaling cascades involved in plants HM tolerance and (c) the recent advancements in biotechnological interventions including genetic engineering, genome editing and omics approaches to provide a step ahead in making of improved plant against HM toxicities.

Unfavorable environmental conditions are the critical inimical to the sustainable agriculture. Among various novel strategies designed to protect plants from abiotic stress threats, use of mineral elements as 'stress mitigators' has emerged as the most crucial and interesting aspect. Silicon (Si) is a quasi-essential nutrient that mediates plant growth and development and interacts with plant growth regulators (PGRs) and signaling molecules to combat abiotic stress induced adversities in plants and increase stress tolerance. PGRs are one of the most important chemical messengers that mediate plant growth and development during stressful conditions. However, the individual roles of Si and PGRs have extensively defined but their exquisite crosstalk with each other to mediate plant stress responses is still indiscernible. The present review is an upfront effort to delineate an intricate crosstalk/interaction between Si and PGRs to reduce abiotic stress adversities. The combined effects of interaction of Si with other signaling molecules such as reactive oxygen species (ROS), nitric oxide (NO) and calcium (Ca2+) for the survival of plants under stress and optimal conditions are also discussed.

Nitric oxide (NO) and hydrogen sulfide (H2S), versatile signaling molecules, play multiple roles in plant growth, physiological and biochemical processes under heavy metal stress. However, the mechanisms through which NO in association with endogenous H2S mediated hexavalent chromium Cr(VI) toxicity mitigation are still not fully understood. Therefore, we investigated the role of NO and H2S in sulfur (S)-assimilation and the effect of NO on endogenous H2S, and cysteine (Cys) biosynthesis and maintenance of cellular glutathione (GSH) pool in tomato seedlings under Cr(VI) stress. Cr(VI) toxicity caused an increase in reactive oxygen species (ROS; O2•- and H2O2) formation and activity of chlorophyll (Chl) degrading enzyme [Chlorophyllase (Chlase)] and decrease in seedlings growth attributes, Chl a and b content, and activity of Chl synthesizing enzyme [δ-aminolevulinic acid dehydratase (δ-ALAD)], gas exchange parameters, S-assimilation, and Cys and H2S metabolism. An increase in the content of glycinebetaine (GB), total soluble carbohydrates (TSCs) and total phenols (TPls), and decrease in DNA damage and ROS in NO treated seedlings conferred Cr(VI) toxicity tolerance. Under Cr(VI) toxicity conditions, the inclusion of H2S scavenger hypotaurine (HT) in growth medium containing NO validated the role of endogenous H2S in S-assimilation, H2S and Cys and GSH metabolism by withdrawing activity of enzymes involved in S-assimilation [adenosine 5-phosphosulfatereductase (APS-R), ATP-sulfurylase (ATP-S)], in the biosynthesis of H2S [L-cysteine desulfhydrase (L-CD) and D-cysteine desulfhydrase (D-CD)], Cys [O-acetylserin (thiol) lyase (OAST-L)], and GSH [glutamylcysteine synthetase (γ-GCS) and glutathione synthetase (GS)], and in antioxidant system. On the other hand, application of cPTIO [2-(4-32 carboxyphenyl)-4,4,5,5-tetramethylimidazoline-1-oxyl-3-oxide], a NO scavenger and HT diminished the effect of NO on internal H2S levels, Cys and glutathione homeostasis, and S-assimilation, which resulted in poor immunity against oxidative stress induced by Cr(VI) toxicity. The obtained results postulate that NO-induced internal H2S conferred tolerance of tomato seedlings to Cr(VI) toxicity and maintained better photosynthesis process and plant growth.

Evaluation of the effects of 24-epibrassinoide (24-EBL) was done on two genotypes of barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) plants (salt tolerant-RD-2508 and salt sensitive-RD-2660) grown under combined stress of salinity and potassium deficiency. Salt-stressed (200 mM NaCl) and K-deficient plants were subjected to different concentrations of 24-EBL (1 ppm, 100 ppm, 1000 ppm) to analyse its effect on combinatorial abiotic stress. Individually both salinity stress and potassium deficit resulted in decrease of plant growth, chlorophyll content and relative water content (RWC). However, the combination of salinity stress and potassium deficient was found to be more harmful for plants. Supplementation of 24-EBL ameliorated the negative effects of combined stress and promoted the growth of stressed plants. This ameliorative effect of 24-EBL could be accounted by the improved activity of antioxidant enzymes, osmolytes such as proline and sugar that affected the oxidative stress by reducing Na+ accumulation and improved K+ concentration and K+/Na+ ratio in stressed plants. Enhancement of K+ accumulation and increase in K+/Na+ ratio through restriction of Na+ accumulation could be considered as a key feature for 24-EBL-induced tolerance along with improved RWC and chlorophyll content. 24- EBL at 100 ppm was more promising in alleviating the stress conditions. Thus, BR-induced manipulation in ion haemostasis can be a prominent trait and can be used as a criterion for developing salt stress and K-limited tolerant barely genotypes.

The role of ethylene (through application of ethephon) in the regulation of nickel (Ni) stress tolerance was investigated in this study. Ethephon at concentration of 200 µl l(−1) was applied to mustard (Brassica juncea) plants grown without and with 200 mg kg(−1) soil Ni to study the increased growth traits, biochemical attributes, photosynthetic efficiency, nutrients content, activities of antioxidants such as superoxide dismutase, ascorbate peroxidase, glutathione reductase, and glutathione peroxidase, glyoxalase systems and enhanced the proline metabolism. In the absence of ethephon, Ni increased oxidative stress with a concomitant decrease in photosynthesis, growth and nutrients content. However, application of ethephon positively increased growth traits, photosynthetic parameters, nutrients content and also elevated the generation of antioxidants enzymes and glyoxalase systems, proline production to combat oxidative stress. Plants water relations and cellular homeostasis were maintained through increased photosynthetic efficiency and proline production. This signifies the role of ethylene in mediating Ni tolerance via regulating proline production and photosynthetic capacity. Ethephon can be used as an exogenous supplement on plants to confer Ni tolerance. The results can be exploited to develop tolerance in plants via gene editing technology encoding enzymes responsible for proline synthesis, antioxidant defence, glyoxalase systems and photosynthetic effectiveness.

In this study, we report the synthesis of nano-donut shaped nickel oxide (NiO) nanostructures using a simple low-temperature hydrothermal process. The detailed characterizations of nano-donut shaped NiO confirm that the as-synthesized nanostructures are grown in large quantity with relatively uniform morphology. Using the nano-donut shaped NiO nanostructures, the electrochemical based non-enzymatic glucose sensors were fabricated and their catalytic properties towards glucose electro-oxidation were conducted in alkaline media. The sensing results revealed the high sensitivity (904.6 µA mM−1 cm−2) and low detection limit (1.4 µM). Owing to the high glucose sensing performance, the nano-donut shaped NiO nanostructures with a unique two-dimensional morphology and high specific surface area have the potential for electrochemical sensing of other biochemical analytes.

The unfolded protein response (UPR) plays a significant role in the maintenance of cellular homeostasis under endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, which is highly dependent on the regulation of defense-related phytohormones. In this study, the role of ethylene (ET) in ER stress and UPR was investigated in the leaves of intact tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) plants. Exogenous application of the ET precursor 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid not only resulted in higher ET emission from leaves but also increased the expression of the UPR marker gene SlBiP and the transcript levels of the ER stress sensor SlIRE1, as well as the levels of SlbZIP60, after 24 h in tomato leaves. Using ET receptor Never ripe (Nr) mutants, a significant role of ET in tunicamycin (Tm)-induced ER stress sensing and signaling was confirmed based on the changes in the expression levels of SlIRE1b and SlBiP. Furthermore, the analysis of other defense-related phytohormones showed that the Tm-induced ET can affect positively the levels of and response to salicylic acid. Additionally, it was found that nitric oxide production and lipid peroxidation, as well as the electrolyte leakage induced by Tm, is regulated by ET, whereas the levels of H

Rice (Oryza sativa) is an imperative staple crop for nearly half of the world’s population. Challenging environmental conditions encompassing abiotic and biotic stresses negatively impact the quality and yield of rice. To assure food supply for the unprecedented ever-growing world population, the improvement of rice as a crop is of utmost importance. In this era, “omics” techniques have been comprehensively utilized to decipher the regulatory mechanisms and cellular intricacies in rice. Advancements in omics technologies have provided a strong platform for the reliable exploration of genetic resources involved in rice trait development. Omics disciplines like genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics have significantly contributed toward the achievement of desired improvements in rice under optimal and stressful environments. The present review recapitulates the basic and applied multi-omics technologies in providing new orchestration toward the improvement of rice desirable traits. The article also provides a catalog of current scenario of omics applications in comprehending this imperative crop in relation to yield enhancement and various environmental stresses. Further, the appropriate databases in the field of data science to analyze big data, and retrieve relevant informationvis-à-visrice trait improvement and stress management are described.

Salicylic acid (SA) is a well-known plant growth regulator, which participates in many physiological processes of plants under normal and stressful conditions. In this study, we investigated the impact of SA supplementation on the components of ascorbate-glutathione cycle and glyoxalase system, photosynthesis and growth of rice (Oryza sativa) plants subjected to arsenic (As) stress. Plants grown with As exhibited enhanced As uptake, increased oxidative stress, and photosynthesis and growth inhibition. Application of SA promoted photosynthesis and growth in plants with or without As stress by improving plant defense systems and reducing oxidative stress through interaction with ethylene and nitric oxide (NO). SA acted as an ethylene antagonist, reducing stress ethylene formation under As stress, while NO formation was induced. This resulted in coordinated control over the antioxidant defense systems and enhanced As tolerance, protecting photosynthesis and growth from As-induced damage. The study showed that positive responses of SA in promoting photosynthesis and growth under As stress were the result of its interplay with ethylene and NO, enhanced capacity of defense systems to reduce oxidative stress. The crosstalk of SA with ethylene and NO will be useful in augmenting the performance of rice plants under As stress.

In the current study, the beneficial role of proline (Pro) and glycinebetaine (GB) in alleviating high temperature (HT) stress was investigated in Brassica napus L. (rapeseed) seedlings. Ten-d-old rapeseed seedlings were treated with and/or without 2 mM Pro and 2 mM GB and exposed to 38/28 °C day/night (16 and 8 h) temperature for 24 and 48 h. Heat stress induced high amount of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), lipoxygenase (LOX) and malondialdehyde (MDA) level. Exogenous Pro and GB addition in HT-affected plants increased the levels of ascorbate (AsA) and reduced glutathione (GSH) and their redox pool. Exogenous Pro and GB increased functions of AsA-GSH pathways enzymes along with catalase (CAT), glutathione S-transferase (GST) and glutathione peroxidase (GPX) in HT exposed plants. The enhanced antioxidant defense system by supplementation of Pro and GB helped to reduce oxidative stress and photosynthetic pigments damage caused by HT-induced stress. High methylglyoxal (MG) content decreased upon exogenous Pro and GB application along with enhanced activities of glyoxalase I (Gly I) and Gly II enzymes in HT-stressed plants. Applied Pro and GB under HT stress enhanced endogenous Pro level further to prevent excess water loss and also improved relative water content. Thus, Pro- and/or GB-induced regulatory interactions between ROS and MG detoxification systems may be a useful approach for the reversal of HT-induced oxidative stress.

Ethylene plays a crucial role throughout the life cycle of plants under optimal and stressful environments. The present study reports the involvement of exogenously sourced ethylene (as ethephon; 2-chloroethyl phosphonic acid) in the protection of the photosynthetic activity from glucose (Glu) sensitivity through its influence on the antioxidant system for adaptation of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) plants under salt stress. Ten-day-old plants were subjected to control and 100 mM NaCl and treated with 200 µl L−1 ethephon on foliage at 20 days after seed sowing individually or in combination with 6% Glu. Plants receiving ethylene exhibited higher growth and photosynthesis through reduced Glu sensitivity in the presence of salt stress. Moreover, ethylene-induced reduced glutathione (GSH) production resulted in increased psbA and psbB expression to protect PSII activity and photosynthesis under salt stress. The use of buthionine sulfoximine (BSO), GSH biosynthesis inhibitor, substantiated the involvement of ethylene-induced GSH in the reversal of Glu-mediated photosynthetic repression in salt-stressed plants. It was suggested that ethylene increased the utilization of Glu under salt stress through its influence on photosynthetic potential and sink strength and reduced the Glu-mediated repression of photosynthesis.

Salinity is one of the major constraints to plant growth and development across the globe that leads to the huge crop productivity loss. Salinity stress causes impairment in plant's metabolic and cellular processes including disruption in ionic homeostasis due to excess of sodium (Na+) ion influx and potassium (K+) efflux. This condition subsequently results in a significant reduction of the cytosolic K+ levels, eventually inhibiting plant growth attributes. K+ plays a crucial role in alleviating salinity stress by recasting key processes of plants. In addition, K+ acquisition and retention also serve as the perquisite trait to establish salt tolerant mechanism. In addition, an intricate network of genes and their regulatory elements are involved in coordinating salinity stress responses. Furthermore, plant growth regulators (PGRs) and other signalling molecules influence K+-mediated salinity tolerance in plants. Recently, nanoparticles (NPs) have also been found several implications in plants with respect to their roles in mediating K+ homoeostasis during salinity stress in plants. The present review describes salinity-induced adversities in plants and role of K+ in mitigating salinity-induced damages. The review also highlights the efficacy of PGRs and other signalling molecules in regulating K+ mediated salinity tolerance along with nano-technological perspective for improving K+ mediated salinity tolerance in plants.

In the future, abiotic stress will be a chief danger with respect to fulfilling the needs of agricultural crops in terms of their production for feeding the world's population. Abiotic stress includes heat, cold, salinity, flooding, drought, UV radiation, and nutrient stress. These stresses are causing a huge effect on the production and productivity of agricultural crops leading to a reduction in average yields. Under abiotic stress conditions, crops decrease their growth and cause slower development. As a response to abiotic conditions, alterations in physiological, anatomical, morphological, and molecular parameters have been observed in plants. In accordance to this, phytohormones control signaling of such responses in abiotic stress conditions. Various sorts of phytohormones are known in plants (auxins, CKs, ethylene, gibberellins, brassinosteroids, jasmonates, and strigolactones), and many more are being investigated. Involvement of theses messengers in growth and development of crops are now gaining importance with respect to developing tolerant varieties for such conditions. Thus, this chapter focuses on various sorts of phytohormones and their functioning, transporters involved in abiotic stresses, and how they respond in such conditions to provide tolerance to crops.

Agriculture crop development and production may be hampered in the modern era because of the increasing prevalence of ecological problems around the world. In the last few centuries, plant and agrarian scientific experts have shown significant progress in promoting efficient and eco-friendly approaches for the green synthesis of nanoparticles (NPs), which are noteworthy due to their unique physio-biochemical features as well as their possible role and applications. They are thought to be powerful sensing molecules that regulate a wide range of significant physiological and biochemical processes in plants, from germination to senescence, as well as unique strategies for coping with changing environmental circumstances. This review highlights current knowledge on the plant extract-mediated synthesis of NPs, as well as their significance in reprogramming plant traits and ameliorating abiotic stresses. Nano particles-mediated modulation of phytohormone content in response to abiotic stress is also displayed. Additionally, the applications and limitations of green synthesized NPs in various scientific regimes have also been highlighted.

Because of the rise in global temperature, heat stress has become a major concern for crop production. Heat stress deteriorates plant productivity and alters phenological and physiological responses that aid in precise monitoring and sensing of mild-to-severe transient heat stress. Plants have evolved several sophisticated mechanisms including hormone-signaling pathways to sense heat stimuli and acquire heat stress tolerance. In response to heat stress, ethylene, a gaseous hormone, is produced which is indispensable for plant growth and development and tolerance to various abiotic stresses including heat stress. The manipulation of ethylene in developing heat stress tolerance targeting ethylene biosynthesis and signaling pathways has brought promising out comes. Conversely increased ethylene biosynthesis and signaling seem to exhibit inhibitory effects in plant growth responses from primitive to maturity stages. This review mainly focuses on the recent studies of ethylene involvement in plant responses to heat stress and its functional regulation, and molecular mechanism underlying the plant responses in the mitigation of heat-induced damages. Furthermore, this review also describes the crosstalk between ethylene and other signaling molecules under heat stress and approaches to improve heat stress tolerance in plants.

Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) is a newly recognized signaling molecule participating in physiological processes, growth, and development of plants under optimal and stressful environments. In the present reported research, we investigated the role of GABA in imparting salt stress tolerance in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). Exposure of wheat plants to 100 mM NaCl resulted in increased oxidative stress, glucose content, nitric oxide (NO) production together with reduced growth and photosynthetic traits of plants. Contrarily, GABA application improved nitrogen (N) metabolism, sulfur (S) assimilation, ion homeostasis, growth and photosynthesis under salt stress. Additionally, GABA mitigated oxidative stress induced by salt stress with the increased ascorbate-glutathione cycle and proline metabolism. The study with NO inhibitor, c-PTIO [2-(4-carboxyphenyl)-4,4,5,5-tetramethylimidazoline-1-oxy-3-oxide] in GABA experiment suggested that the impact of GABA on improvement of growth and photosynthesis under salt stress was mediated by NO and influenced N and S assimilation and antioxidant systems. The results suggested that the GABA has a significant potential in reversing the salt stress response in wheat plants, and GABA-mediated signals are manifested through NO.

Drought has been highly prevalent around the world especially in Sub-Saharan Africa and South-East Asian countries. Consistent climatic instabilities and unpredictable rainfall patterns are further worsening the situation. Rice is a C3 staple cereal and an important food crop for the majority of the world's population and drought stress is one of the major growth retarding threats for rice that slashes down grain quality and yield. Drought deteriorates rice productivity and induces various acclimation responses that aids in stress mitigation. However, the complexity of traits associated with drought tolerance has made the understanding of drought stress-induced responses in rice a challenging process. An integrative understanding based on physiological adaptations, omics, transgenic and molecular breeding approaches successively backed up to developing drought stress-tolerant rice. The review represents a step forward to develop drought-resilient rice plants by exploiting the knowledge that collaborates with omics-based developments with integrative efforts to ensure the compilation of all the possible strategies undertaken to develop drought stress-tolerant rice.

Rice seeds germinating in flooded soils encounter hypoxia or even anoxia leading to poor seed germination and crop establishment. Introgression of AG1 and AG2 QTLs associated with tolerance of flooding during germination, together with seed pre-treatment via hydro-priming or presoaking can enhance germination and seedling growth in anaerobic soils. This study assessed the performance of elite lines incorporating AG1, AG2 and their combination when directly seeded in flooded soils using dry seeds. The QTLs were in the background of two popular varieties PSB Rc82 and Ciherang-Sub1, evaluated along with the donors Kho Hlan On (AG1) and Ma-Zhan Red (AG2) and recipient parents PSB Rc82 and Ciherang-Sub1. In one set of experiments conducted in the greenhouse, seedling emergence, growth, and carbohydrate mobilization from seeds were assessed. Metabolites associated with reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenging including malondialdehyde (MDA) as a measure of lipid peroxidation, ascorbate, total phenolic concentration (TPC), and activities of ROS scavenging enzymes were quantified in seeds germinating under control (saturated) and flooded (10 cm) soils. In another set of experiments conducted in a natural field with 3–5 cm flooding depths, control and pretreated seeds of Ciherang-Sub1 introgression lines and checks were used. Flooding reduced seedling emergence of all genotypes, though emergence of AG1 + AG2 introgression lines was greater than the other AG lines. Soluble sugars increased, while starch concentration decreased gradually under flooding especially in the tolerant checks and in AG1 + AG2 introgression lines. Less lipid peroxidation and higher α-amylase activity, higher ascorbate (RAsA) and TPC were observed in the tolerant checks and in the AG1 + AG2 introgression lines. Lipid peroxidation correlated negatively with ascorbate, TPC, and with ROS scavengers. Seed hydro-priming or pre-soaking increased emergence by 7–10% over that of dry seeds. Introgression of AG2 and AG1 + AG2 QTLs with seed pretreatment showed 101–153% higher emergence over dry seeds of intolerant genotypes in the field. Lines carrying AG1 + AG2 QTLs showed higher α-amylase activity, leading to rapid starch degradation and increase in soluble sugars, ascorbate, and TPC, together leading to higher germination and seedling growth in flooded soils. Seed hydro-priming or pre-soaking for 24 h also improved traits associated with flooding tolerance. Combining tolerance with seed management could therefore, improve crop establishment in flooded soils and encourage large-scale adoption of direct seeded rice system.

Salinity is a serious environmental hazard which limits world agricultural production by adversely affecting plant physiology and biochemistry. Hence, increased tolerance against salt stress is very important. In this study, we explored the function of &beta, aminobutyric acid (BABA) in enhancing salt stress tolerance in rapeseed (Brassica napus L.). After pretreatment with BABA, seedlings were exposed to NaCl (100 and 150 mM) for 2 days. Salt stress increased Na content and decreased K content in shoot and root. It disrupted the antioxidant defense system by producing reactive oxygen species (ROS, H2O2 and O2&bull, &minus, ), methylglyoxal (MG) content and causing oxidative stress. It also reduced the growth and photosynthetic pigments of seedlings but increased proline (Pro) content. However, BABA pretreatment in salt-stressed seedlings increased ascorbate (AsA) and glutathione (GSH) contents, GSH/GSSG ratio, and the activities of ascorbate peroxidase (APX), monodehydroascorbate reductase (MDHAR), dehydroascorbate reductase (DHAR), glutathione reductase (GR), glutathione peroxidase (GPX), superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glyoxalase I (Gly I), and glyoxalase II (Gly II) as well as the growth and photosynthetic pigments of plants. In addition, compared to salt stress alone, BABA increased Pro content, reduced the H2O2, MDA and MG contents, and decreased Na content in root and increased K content in shoot and root of rapeseed seedlings. Our findings suggest that BABA plays a double role in rapeseed seedlings by reducing Na uptake and enhancing stress tolerance through upregulating the antioxidant defense and glyoxalase systems.

Green synthesis of nanoparticles (NPs) is competent in inducing physiological responses in plants for combating the abiotic stresses. Considering this, salt stress is one of the most alarming conditions that exerts complex and polygenic impacts on morph-physiological functioning of plants; resulting in reduced crop productivity and yield. Therefore, understanding the salt responses and tolerance mechanisms are important for sustaining crop productivity. In the current study, we have examined the effects of biosynthesized gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) on wheat (Triticum aestivum) plants under salt stress. Green-synthesized AuNPs were found beneficial in modulating the K+/Na+ ratio, chlorophyll concentration, defense systems, nitrogen assimilation, stomatal dynamics and growth traits under salt stress condition. Furthermore, the excessive accumulation of oxidative stress markers including reactive oxygen/nitrogen species was controlled in response of AuNPs treatment under salt stress. Overall, modulation of these traits commanded to induce salt stress tolerance in wheat plants.