Salinity limits germination and plant growth and development in 45 million ha worldwide. Techniques to overcome this problem are needed. This project investigated the effects of jasmonic acid (JA) (0, 5, and 10 mM JA) and humic acid (HA) (0, 3, and 6 g HA kg−1 soil) on growth and physiological parameters of forage sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L. Moench) under different NaCl salinity levels (0, 100, and 200 mM NaCl, with an equivalent electrical conductivity (EC) of 0.12 dSm−1 as control treatment, 3.22, and 5.78 dSm−1, respectively). NaCl salinity reduced emergence percentage, emergence rate, salt tolerance index and seedling vigor index, all seedling growth parameters, ascorbate peroxidase (APX) activity, chlorophyll a, b and total chlorophyll content. Proline content and soluble protein content were increased with salinity. At the 200 mM salinity level, seeds treated with 10 mM JA had a positive effect on emergence percentage, emergence rate, shoot length, total fresh weight, salt tolerance index, seedling vigor index, chlorophyll a and total chlorophyll content. At 200 mM NaCl salinity level, seeds treated with 6 g HA kg−1 soil had increased root length, total dry weight, salt tolerance index, seedling vigor index, shoot length, protein content, APX, chlorophyll b, and total chlorophyll in seedlings. The application of 5 mM JA combined with 6 g HA kg−1 soil was most effective in minimizing salinity stress. Our study suggested that the appropriate combined application of HA and JA could efficiently protect early seedlings from salt stress damage and alleviate abiotic stress.
