TL;DR
Overall, SA effectively alleviated salt-induced oxidative stress and improved physiological stability in cauliflower seedlings, indicating its strong potential as a bioregulator to enhance salinity tolerance in Brassica crops.
Drought stress in agricultural land disrupts the physiological processes, growth, and yield of kale (Brassica oleracea L. var. acephala). This study evaluated the physiological responses, growth, and yield of kale treated with salicylic acid, a potential strategy to enhance plant tolerance to drought stress, in a greenhouse at the Department of Agriculture, Universitas Diponegoro, Semarang. A 4 × 4 factorial experiment was arranged in a Completely Randomized Design (CRD) with three replications. The first factor was drought level (100%, 80%, 60%, and 40% field capacity). The second factor was salicylic acid (SA) concentration 0, 0.75, 1.5, and 2.25 mM). The results indicated that physiological responses (chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, total chlorophyll, relative water content, and electrolyte leakage) remained largely stable under moderate drought stress (60% FC), whereas plant growth parameters (plant height, leaf number, and leaf area) were reduced by 14.5–20.7% compared with the control (100% FC). At 40% FC, both physiological and growth responses were more severely affected; electrolyte leakage increased markedly, and plant height, leaf area, and dry biomass weight decreased by 24.4%, 47.2%, and 60.5%, respectively, compared with the control (P < 0.05). The best treatment was the application of 1.5 mM salicylic acid, which increased the relative water content by 4.13% and decreased the electrolyte leakage by 34.70% compared to untreated plants (P < 0.05). This concentration was likely more effective due to optimal stomatal regulation, increased antioxidant enzyme activity, and maintained membrane integrity, indicating that 1.5 mM SA has potential as a biostimulant to improve kale water status and membrane stability. However, field validation across locations and seasons is needed before recommending it for dryland farming.
Soil salinity is a major abiotic stress factor that adversely affects the growth, yield, and quality of many crops, including Arachis hypogaea (groundnut). This study investigated the potential of salicylic acid (SA) in mitigating the negative effects of salinity stress in groundnut. A germination experiment was conducted on two groundnut varieties, SAMNUT-11 and SAMNUT-14, which were exposed to varying concentrations of sodium chloride (NaCl) solutions (0, 50, 100, 150, and 200 mM), with or without SA treatment. The experiment followed a completely randomized design with ten treatment combinations and three replications. The effects of SA were evaluated on morphological parameters such as germination percentage, fresh weight, and plumule length, alongside key biochemical indicators of oxidative stress, including reactive oxygen species (ROS), malondialdehyde (MDA), and reduced glutathione (GSH). Results showed that SA significantly enhanced seed germination and seedling growth under saline conditions, particularly at moderate salt concentrations (≤100 mM). In addition, SA application effectively reduced ROS and MDA levels while increasing GSH content, indicating its protective role against oxidative damage. Among the two varieties tested, SAMNUT-14 exhibited greater salt tolerance, demonstrated by superior morphological performance and more favourable biochemical responses compared to SAMNUT-11. These findings suggest that exogenous SA application can improve salt tolerance in groundnut by modulating oxidative stress responses, offering a promising approach for enhancing crop productivity in saline soils. Further research is warranted to elucidate the underlying physiological and molecular mechanisms of SA-mediated stress mitigation and to optimize its field application.
Soil salinization poses a significant threat to agricultural production, necessitating innovative agronomic strategies to mitigate its impact. Salinity stress is a critical abiotic factor that hampers tomato growth by causing ionic imbalances, oxidative damage, and disruptions in physiological systems. This study investigated the effect of sodium silicate (Na₂SiO₃) in reducing salt stress in tomato plants exposed to 75 and 150 mM NaCl. The results indicated that salinity substantially decreased plant growth, the content of photosynthetic pigments, and the uptake of essential mineral nutrients. Concurrently, it heightened oxidative stress markers such as malondialdehyde (MDA), electrolyte leakage, hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂), and hydroxyl radicals (•OH). Treatment with Na₂SiO₃, particularly at a concentration of 2 mM, significantly improved growth performance and photosynthetic pigment content. Silicon treatments enhanced the antioxidant defense mechanisms by increasing the activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), ascorbate peroxidase (APX), glutathione reductase (GR), and peroxidase (POX). Additionally, levels of ascorbate (AsA) and glutathione (GSH) were raised, leading to reduced oxidative damage and stabilized cellular membranes. The application of silicon also improved ionic homeostasis by decreasing sodium ion (Na⁺) concentration while enhancing the absorption of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K⁺), and silicon. In conclusion, the study demonstrated that silicon effectively alleviates salt stress in tomato plants by improving redox balance, enhancing antioxidant capacity, and regulating ion transport. The most effective concentration of Na₂SiO₃ was found to be 2 mM. The exogenous application of sodium silicate, especially at this concentration, helps to mitigate salinity-induced impairments in tomato plants by enhancing physiological performance, antioxidant defense, and ionic balance. This suggests its potential use as a sustainable agricultural strategy under salt-affected conditions.
Soil salinity is a major abiotic stress that severely limits plant growth and productivity worldwide, particularly under changing climate conditions. Silicon (Si) has emerged as a promising approach for improving plant tolerance to salinity stress; however, its integrated physiological effects in perennial forage grasses remain insufficiently understood. This study investigated the role of Si in alleviating salinity stress in Agropyron cristatum × A. desertorum cv. Hycrest-Mengnong under controlled conditions. Plants were exposed to 0, 100, and 200 mM NaCl with or without Si application, and growth, physiological, biochemical, and ionic responses were evaluated. Salinity stress significantly reduced plant height, biomass, leaf area, photosynthetic performance, chlorophyll content, and PSII efficiency, with the strongest inhibitory effects observed at 200 mM NaCl. Salinity also increased oxidative damage, as indicated by higher malondialdehyde (MDA) content, promoted proline accumulation associated with osmotic adjustment, enhanced antioxidant enzyme activities, and disrupted ionic homeostasis through excessive Na⁺ accumulation and reduced K⁺/Na⁺ ratio. Si application markedly alleviated these adverse effects by improving growth, maintaining photosynthetic efficiency and chlorophyll stability, enhancing antioxidant defense, promoting osmotic adjustment, and regulating ion balance through reduced Na⁺ accumulation and improved K⁺ retention. These findings demonstrate that Si enhances salinity tolerance through coordinated regulation of physiological, biochemical, and ionic mechanisms. The study provides a mechanistic framework for understanding Si-mediated salinity tolerance in perennial forage grasses and highlights the potential application of Si for improving forage productivity under saline conditions.
This study investigated the effects of salicylic acid (SA) and ascorbic acid (AA) applications on the growth and physiological performance of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) seedlings in order to evaluate their potential to mitigate the adverse effects of salt stress. The experiment was conducted under 100 mM NaCl-induced salt stress conditions and consisted of eight treatment groups including single and combined foliar applications of SA and AA at different concentrations (1 mM and 2 mM). Plant height, stem diameter, root length, leaf number, leaf area, total fresh and dry weight, and SPAD values (chlorophyll content) were assessed. The results indicated that salt stress significantly suppressed all morphological and biomass-related parameters; however, SA and AA applications alleviated these negative effects to varying extents. The most pronounced positive effect was observed with the combined application of 2 mM salicylic acid (SA) and 2 mM ascorbic acid (AA). Compared with the salt-stressed control, this treatment increased plant height by 100.4%, total fresh weight by 60.8%, and leaf area by 61.2%, resulting in the highest biomass performance among all treatments. In contrast, the sole application of salicylic acid exhibited more limited effects, particularly on dry weight and leaf development. Chlorophyll content showed a dose-dependent response, with the low-dose combination (1 mM SA + AA) being more effective in preserving chlorophyll, whereas higher doses were associated with lower SPAD values. Overall, these findings demonstrate that the combined foliar application of 2 mM SA and 2 mM AA represents an effective, practical, and promising strategy for improving the performance of tomato seedlings under salt stress conditions.
Tomato production is frequently constrained by salinity because salt stress restricts water uptake, chlorophyll maintenance, biomass formation, and yield. This study evaluated the effectiveness of the photosynthetic bacterium Rhodobacter sphaeroides BCK1 in improving tomato growth and physiological performance under salinity stress. A 3 × 3 factorial experiment combining three NaCl concentrations (0, 3.000, and 6.000 ppm) and three bacterial suspension doses (0, 10, and 20 ml L-1) was arranged in a completely randomized design with five replicates, resulting in 45 experimental units. Growth, biomass, yield, leaf greenness, relative water content, net assimilation rate, and relative growth rate were evaluated. Salinity significantly reduced most growth, yield, and physiological traits, whereas bacterial application improved these parameters. At 6.000 ppm NaCl, the application of 20 ml L-1 R. sphaeroides BCK1 increased leaf area by approximately 45%, root dry weight by 64%, fruit number by 55%, total fruit weight by 94%, and relative growth rate by 6,5% compared with uninoculated plants exposed to the same salinity level. Net assimilation rate was not significantly affected by salinity (P = 0,337) but increased with bacterial dose (P = 0,0096). The strongest overall response was obtained at 20 ml L-1, indicating that R. sphaeroides BCK1 can partially alleviate salinity-induced reductions in tomato growth and productivity.
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