Journal of Experimental Biology and Agricultural Sciences http://www.jebas.org ISSN No. 2320 – 8694 Journal of Experimental Biology and Agricultural Sciences, December - 2022; Volume – 10(6) page 1441 – 1452 Elucidation of the morpho-physiological traits of maize (Zea mays L.) under salt stress Rotondwa Rabelani Sinthumule, Oziniel Ruzvidzo, Tshegofatso Bridget Dikobe * Department of Botany, School of Biological Sciences, North-West University, Mmabatho, South Africa Received – August 21, 2022; Revision – November 23, 2022; Accepted – December 08, 2022 Available Online – December 31, 2022 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.18006/2022.10(6).1441.1452 ABSTRACT Agriculture is an essential sector for the increasing world population, hence the need for more food production. However, the aim of increasing food crop production is mostly suppressed by abiotic stresses such as drought and salinity. Salinity is a major limiting factor that inhibits the potential of plant growth and productivity worldwide. Hence, understanding the mechanisms behind plant stress response is important for developing new biomarker approaches that will increase salt tolerance in crops. To survive, plants exhibit various morphological, physiological, and biochemical processes when faced with saline conditions. This study was carried out to explore and evaluate the morphological and physiological effects of salinity on maize grown in the absence/presence of NaCl, followed by measurement of the various growth parameters at the end of a treatment cycle. Results of the study revealed that salt stress significantly decreased growth parameters such as plant height, leaf number, leaf width, leaf area, leaf length, and shoot (weight and length). On the other hand, salinity decreased physiological traits such as stomatal count, stomatal density, transpiration, and respiration rates. This study has shown the negative effects of salt stress on the morphology and physiology of maize. These findings can be used as a reference tool in stress response studies focusing on salt stress pathways in maize and other related crops. * Corresponding author KEYWORDS Maize Salt stress Morpho- physiological traits Respiration Transpiration E-mail: Tshegofatso.Dikobe@nwu.ac.za (Tshegofatso Bridget Dikobe) Peer review under responsibility of Journal of Experimental Biology and Agricultural Sciences. All the articles published by Journal of Experimental Biology and Agricultural Sciences are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License Based on a work at www.jebas.org. Production and Hosting by Horizon Publisher India [HPI] (http://www.horizonpublisherindia.in/). All rights reserved.