Open Access

ARTICLE

Enhancing Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) Resilience to Salinity through Proline and NaCl Seed Priming

Erna Karalija¹, Sabina Dahija¹, Sajra Prijić¹, Dunja Šamec^2,*

1 Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Sarajevo, Zmaja od Bosne 35, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
2 Department of Food Technology, University North, Trg. Dr. Žarka Dolinara 1, Koprivnica, Croatia

* Corresponding Author: Dunja Šamec. Email:

(This article belongs to the Special Issue: Abiotic Stresses and Plant Defences in Climate Change)

Phyton-International Journal of Experimental Botany 2026, 95(2), 13 https://doi.org/10.32604/phyton.2026.072517

Received 28 August 2025; Accepted 31 December 2025; Issue published 28 February 2026

Abstract

Salinity is one of the major abiotic stresses limiting chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) productivity, particularly in arid and semi-arid regions where soil salinization is intensifying. Developing cost-effective and practical strategies to enhance seedling establishment and early vigor under saline conditions is therefore essential. In this study, we compared two seed-priming agents—1 mM proline and 25 mM NaCl—under identical hydroponic conditions to elucidate tissue-specific responses to 25 mM NaCl stress. Proline priming significantly improved shoot length (by ~23%), total chlorophyll content (by ~19%), and ascorbate peroxidase (ASPOX) activity. In contrast, NaCl priming enhanced root biomass retention (by ~38%) and peroxidase (POD) activity under salinity stress. Both priming treatments induced higher proline accumulation and antioxidant capacity, though with tissue-specific effects: proline favored aboveground resilience, while NaCl strengthened root ionic and oxidative balance. These findings highlight the complementary nature of proline and NaCl priming and support the concept of stress “memory,” whereby plants acquire enhanced readiness to cope with salinity. Integrating such priming strategies into chickpea cultivation could contribute to improved yield stability and sustainability in saline agroecosystems.

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Keywords

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