Table 1 Effect of application of melatonin (0, 75 and 150 µM) on growth parameters of bitter melon (Momordica charantia) under salt stress (0, 50 and 100 mM NaCl) conditions

0

0

19.57 ± 0.62 ^a

14.03 ± 0.49^a

33.31 ± 0.40^b

2.93 ± 0.03^b

0.422 ± 0.016^ab

0.0238 ± 0.0009^ab

75

19.76 ± 0.42 ^a

14.42 ± 0.50^a

34.02 ± 0.06^ab

2.99 ± 0.00^ab

0.424 ± 0.013^ab

0.0240 ± 0.0007^ab

150

20.08 ± 0.40 ^a

14.61 ± 0.45^a

34.66 ± 0.48^a

3.05 ± 0.04^a

0.433 ± 0.013^a

0.0245 ± 0.0007^a

50

0

15.59 ± 0.37 ^d

10.92 ± 0.50^c

25.35 ± 0.99^e

2.23 ± 0.08^e

0.328 ± 0.014^de

0.0185 ± 0.0008^de

75

16.60 ± 0.33 ^c

12.09 ± 0.50^b

28.76 ± 0.49^d

2.53 ± 0.04^d

0.359 ± 0.011^cd

0.0203 ± 0.0006^cd

150

18.35 ± 0.19 ^b

13.52 ± 0.50^a

31.76 ± 0.36^c

2.79 ± 0.03^c

0.384 ± 0.011^bc

0.0217 ± 0.0006^bc

100

0

9.54 ± 0.13 ^g

6.00 ± 0.51^f

17.15 ± 0.25^g

1.51 ± 0.02^g

0.244 ± 0.010^f

0.0138 ± 0.0006^f

75

11.56 ± 0.13 ^f

7.92 ± 0.48^e

21.02 ± 0.45^f

1.85 ± 0.03^f

0.290 ± 0.045^e

0.0164 ± 0.0025^e

150

13.72 ± 0.19 ^e

9.59 ± 0.46^d

22.03 ± 0.12^f

1.93 ± 0.01^f

0.308 ± 0.011^e

0.0174 ± 0.0006^e