PurposeThe physical seed priming methods are becoming promising due to their lower application costs and greater safety compared with the chemical methods. Although many benefits of microwaves as a physical treatment have been proven for humans and animals, there are not enough studies to highlight their importance for plants, especially under stressful conditions such as salinity. Therefore, possibility of using microwaves to enhance salt tolerance of Gypsophila paniculata plants was investigated.MethodsSeeds of G. paniculata were exposed to microwaves for three exposure times (5, 10 and 15 s), in addition to the control treatment (without microwave treatment). Seeds were then sown in pots and the produced plants irrigated with saline water at salinity concentrations of 0, 1000, 2000 and 4000 mg L- 1. Growth parameters, flowering behavior, plant pigments, nutrients content and oxidative stress indices were estimated.ResultsRaising concentration of salts in the irrigation water resulted in considerable declines in G. paniculata vegetative growth and flowering traits, leaf nutritional status, plant pigments, and carbohydrates percentage while proline, catalase activity and malondialdehyde increased. Plants produced from microwaved seeds for 15 s exhibited the maximum increases of vegetative growth and flowering traits, leaf nutrients content, plant pigments, carbohydrates percentage, proline, and catalase activity with significant reduction in malondialdehyde. Under different salinity levels, microwaving seeds for 15 s was the efficient treatment for improving growth, flower quality, nutrients homeostasis, biochemical constituents and oxidative stress indices G. paniculata plants.ConclusionThe sensitivity of G. paniculata to salinity was reduced by applying microwave technology, as the physiological balance was regulated, thus improving the growth and flowering features. Microwave influences may contribute in the metabolism and biosynthesis of osmolytes and antioxidant defensive modes under salt stressful. Accordingly, sowing the microwaved seeds for 15-second as a novel seed priming could be practiced to enhance salt tolerance of G. paniculata crop grown in arid regions.