Silicic and Ascorbic Acid Induced Modulations in Photosynthetic, Mineral Uptake, and Yield Attributes of Mung Bean (Vigna radiata L. Wilczek) under Ozone Stress

Most of the world's crop production and plant growth are anticipated to be seriously threatened by the increasing tropospheric ozone (O-3) levels. The current study demonstrates how different mung bean genotypes reacted to the elevated level of O-3 in the presence of exogenous ascorbic and silicic acid treatments. It is the first report to outline the potential protective effects of ascorbic and silicic acid applications against O-3 toxicity in 12 mung bean {Vigna radiata (L.) Wilken} varieties. Under controlled circumstances, the present investigation was conducted in a glass house. There were four different treatments used: control (ambient O-3 concentration of 40-45 ppb), elevated O-3 (120 ppb), elevated O-3 with silicic acid (0.1 mM), and elevated O-3 with ascorbic acid (10 mM). Three varieties, viz. NM 20-21, NM 2006, and NM 2016, showcased tolerance to O-3 toxicity. Our findings showed that ascorbic and silicic acid applications gradually increased yield characteristics such as seed yield, harvest index, days to maturity, and characteristics related to gas exchange such as transpiration rate, stomatal conductance, net photosynthetic activity, and water-use efficiency. Compared to the control, applying both growth regulators enhanced the mineral uptake across all treatments. Based on the findings of the current study, it is concluded that the subject mung bean genotypes responded to silicic acid treatment more efficiently than ascorbic acid to mitigate the harmful effects of O-3 stress.