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Abstract
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The production of medicinal plants under stressful environments offers an alternative to meet the
requirements of sustainable agriculture. The action of mycorrhizal fungus; Funneliformis mosseae and
zinc in stimulating growth and stress tolerance in medicinal plants is an intriguing area of research. The
current study evaluated the combined use of nano-zinc and mycorrhizal fungus on the physiochemical
responses of Dracocephalum moldavica under salinity stress. The study employed a factorial based on a
completely randomized design with three replications. The treatments were different levels of salinity
(0, 50, and 100 mM NaCl), two levels of mycorrhiza application (0 and 5 g kg− 1 of soil), and two levels
of foliar spraying of nano zinc oxide (0 and 1000 ppm). Salinity decreased the photosynthetic pigments
content, SPAD value, and chlorophyll fluorescence data (Fm, Fv, Fv/Fm). Plant dry weight, Na+ content,
and essential oil content were significantly higher at 50 mM salinity + co-application of mycorrhiza
and nano zinc oxide. Electrolyte leakage increased under salt stress, while mycorrhizal inoculation
compensated for the trait. The main essential oil constituents were geranyl acetate, nerol, geranial,
geraniol, viridiflorol, hexadecane, humulene, and germacrene D. Energy metabolism demonstrates the
effectiveness of treatment combinations in promoting the biosynthesis and accumulation of essential
oil components. The overall results with more comprehensive field-based studies would be advisable
for the extension section to utilize marginal salty lands for the reliable production of a valuable
medicinal plant.
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