The effects of NaCl, Cd and adaptive compounds namely salicylic acid and ascorbic acid, either alone or in combination, on growth and photosynthetic pigments of broad bean plants were investigated. Exposure of bean plants to these stressful factors induced variable decreases in the levels of growth parameters and chlorophyll content throughout the experimental period, as compared with control plants. The addition of 4 mM ascorbic acid and /or 0.09 mM salicylic acid to the stressful media induced, in general, significant protective changes in the detected parameters.