Foliar Applications of Gibberellic Acid Alleviates Chromium Toxicity in Pisum sativum L

Chromium adversely affects Pisum sativum L, garden peas, hindering their growth and development. The growth hormone, gibberellic acid (GA₃) plays a vital role in improving plant performance under both normal and stress conditions. The study examined the effect of foliar applications of GA₃ on the growth and yield of two Pisum sativum L. cultivars, Polo and Meteor, under chromium stress. Under In vitro conditions, peas were germinated under potassium chromate (Cr) stress treatments at concentration of 0, 100, 200, and 300 µM. The critical level of Cr stress was determined to be 300 µM. A pot experiment was conducted using a completely randomized design with five treatments: T1 (Control), T2 (300 µM Cr), T3 (20 µM GA₃ + 300 µM Cr), T4 (40 µM GA₃ + 300 µM Cr) and T5 (60 µM GA₃ + 300 µM Cr). The findings showed that Cr stress negatively impacted growth, yield and chemical parameters. POD and SOD levels increased, while protein and chlorophyll content decreased. Foliar application of gibberellic acid effectively mitigated these effects. Chlorophyll content declined to 58% and 71% for Meteor and Polo respectively but reached a maximum of 0.38 mgg^− 1 in Meteor and 0.33 mgg^− 1 in Polo at 60µM GA₃ compared to the control. Seed count declined by 34%, for Meteor and 38% for Polo compared to the control. Meteors showed the highest seed count, with a 48% and 124% increase compared to the control and 300µM Cr stress, respectively. Overall, the Meteor variety exhibited a 15% higher yield than Polo and showed greater tolerance to Cr stress. Conclusively, 60µM concentration of GA₃ effectively mitigated the adverse effects of Cr stress on both varieties.