TY  - EJOU
AU  - Alhawsa, Zahra 
AU  - Jalal, Rewaa 
AU  - Asiri, Nouf 

TI  - Enhancing Salt Stress Tolerance in <i>Portulaca oleracea</i> L. Using <i>Ascophyllum nodosum</i> Biostimulant
T2  - Phyton-International Journal of Experimental Botany

PY  - 2025
VL  - 94
IS  - 4
SN  - 1851-5657

AB  - Salinity stress is a major constraint on agricultural productivity, particularly in arid and semi-arid regions. This study evaluated the potential of <i>Ascophyllum nodosum</i> extract (ANE) in mitigating salinity-induced stress and enhancing the growth and physiological performance of <i>Portulaca oleracea</i> L. under NaCl concentrations of 0, 50, 70, and 100 mM for 50 days. A two-way ANOVA assessed the effects of NaCl concentration, ANE treatment, and their interaction. The results showed that ANE significantly increased plant height at 50 mM NaCl (<i>p</i> = 0.0011) but had no effect at higher salinity levels (<i>p</i> > 0.05). Shoot dry weight was significantly influenced by the interaction of NaCl and ANE (<i>p</i> = 0.0064), with ANE increasing biomass at 0 mM but decreasing it at 100 mM NaCl. However, ANE did not significantly affect root dry weight (<i>p</i> > 0.05). Physiological responses indicated a significant increase in proline content at 50 mM NaCl (<i>p</i> = 0.0011), supporting improved osmotic adjustment. Total soluble protein was significantly enhanced at all salinity levels except 100 mM NaCl (<i>p</i> < 0.01). Regarding ionic regulation, ANE had no significant effect on leaf sap pH (<i>p</i> > 0.05) but increased electrical conductivity (EC) at 70 and 100 mM NaCl (<i>p</i> < 0.01), suggesting a role in ion homeostasis under high salinity. Photosynthetic pigments responded positively to ANE, with significant increases in chlorophyll “<i>a</i>” (<i>p</i> < 0.0001) and carotenoid content (<i>p</i> < 0.0001), while chlorophyll “<i>b</i>” remained unchanged (<i>p</i> > 0.05). These findings highlight ANE’s potential as a sustainable biostimulant for improving salinity tolerance, particularly at moderate NaCl levels. Future research should focus on molecular mechanisms and long-term field applications to optimize ANE’s role in enhancing soil and crop productivity under salinity stress.
KW  - <i>Portulaca oleracea</i> L.; <i>Ascophyllum nodosum</i> extract (ANE); salinity stress; physiological response; biostimulant

DO  - 10.32604/phyton.2025.061918