Evaluation of The Effect of Different Calcium Doses on Yield, Antioxidant Enzyme Activity and Malondialdehyde Levels in Tomato under Salinity Stress

Zuher Rashid Shakir; Naif Geboloğlu; Hakan Kartal

doi:10.15832/ankutbd.1806495

Evaluation of The Effect of Different Calcium Doses on Yield, Antioxidant Enzyme Activity and Malondialdehyde Levels in Tomato under Salinity Stress

Abstract

In soilless culture, salinity stress significantly reduces the yield and fruit quality of tomatoes. As tomatoes are sensitive to salinity, mitigation methods are required. Supplying calcium to tomato plants increases their tolerance to salinity by supporting cell membrane integrity and antioxidant defence systems. This two-year study (2021–2022) was conducted in a fully automated heated greenhouse at the Research Centre Directorate of Gaziosmanpaşa University in Tokat. The trial plots were conducted in triplicate according to the trial design. The study examined how different calcium concentrations and salinity levels affect the yield, antioxidant enzyme activities, and malondialdehyde levels of the LA4442 (Florida 8516) tomato variety. Increasing the dose of calcium between applications significantly increased the number of marketable fruits and yield in tomato plants in both years (2021–2022). The highest yields were obtained in 2021–2022, at 118.58 t ha-1 and 127.31 t ha-1 respectively, through the application of 200 mg kg-1 calcium and 2.0 dS m-1 salt. However, reductions in marketable fruit numbers and marketable yield were observed at high salinity and low calcium doses. Furthermore, significant differences were observed in antioxidant enzyme activities. In both years (2021–2022), the activity of enzymes such as catalase, glutathione reductase and peroxidase increased in the absence of calcium (0 mg kg-1) and with increasing salt concentrations (6.0 dS m-1) across treatments. However, at 200 mg kg-1 calcium doses, the activities of these enzymes decreased. Malondialdehyde levels, an indicator of oxidative stress, increased under high salinity conditions; however, they decreased significantly under high calcium and low salinity conditions. Consequently, calcium was found to reduce salt stress in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) plants, as well as increasing yield.

Keywords

Thanks

I would like to thank Tokat Gaziosmanpaşa University for their support.

References

Aazami M A, Rasouli F & Ebrahimzadeh A (2021). Oxidative damage, antioxidant mechanism and gene expression in tomato responding to salinity stress under in vitro conditions and application of iron and zinc oxide nanoparticles on callus induction and plant regeneration. BMC Plant Biology 21(1): 597. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12870-021-03379-7
Agius C, Von Tucher S & Rozhon W (2022). The effect of salinity on fruit quality and yield of cherry tomatoes. Horticulturae 8(1): 59. https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae8010059
Ahmad P, Abdallah E F, Alyemeni M N, Wijaya L & Alam P (2018). Exogenous application of calcium to 24-epibrassinosteroid pre-treated tomato seedlings mitigates NaCl toxicity by modifying ascorbate–glutathione cycle and secondary metabolites. Scientific reports 8(1): 13515. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-018-31917-1
Ahmad P, Ahanger M A, Egamberdieva D, Alam P & Alyemeni M N (2019). Modification of osmolytes and antioxidant enzymes by 24epibrassinolide in tomato plants under salt stress. Biomolecules 9(5): 210.
Akyol T Y, Yilmaz O, Uzilday B, Uzilday R Ö & Türkan I (2020). Plant response to salinity: an analysis of ROS formation, signaling, and antioxidant defense. Turkish Journal of Botany 44(1): 1-13. https://doi.org/10.3906/bot-1911-15
Al-Kharabsheh H M, Seleiman M F, Hewedy O A, Battaglia M L & Jalal R S (2021). Field crop responses and management strategies to mitigate soil salinity in modern agriculture: A review. Agronomy 11(11): 2299. https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy11112299
Arif Y, Singh P, Siddiqui H, Bajguz A & Hayat S (2020). Salinity induced physiological and biochemical changes in plants: An omic approach towards salt stress tolerance. Plant Physiology and Biochemistry, 156, 64-77. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.plaphy.2020.08.042
Arzani A (2008). Improving salinity tolerance in crop plants: A biotechnological view. In Vitro Cellular & Developmental Biology - Plant, 44(5): 373-383. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11627-008-9157-7

Balasubramaniam T, Shen G, Esmaeili N & Zhang H (2023). Plants response mechanisms to salinity stress. Plants 12(12): 2253. https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12122253
Barickman T C, Kopsell D A & Sams C E (2019). Applications of abscisic acid and increasing concentrations of calcium affect the partitioning of mineral nutrients between tomato leaf and fruit tissue. Horticulturae 5(3): 49
Bhaumik D, Kumar K S, Paswan S & Srivastava S (2012). Tomato-a natural medicine and its health benefits. Journal of Pharmacognosy and Phytochemistry 1(1): 33-43
Capula-Rodríguez R, Valdez-Aguilar L A, Cartmill D L, Cartmill A D & Alia-Tejacal I (2016). Supplementary calcium and potassium improve the response of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) to simultaneous alkalinity, salinity, and boron stress. Communications in Soil Science and Plant Analysis 47(4): 505-511. https://doi.org/10.1080/00103624.2016.1141924
Cho J H, Sim S C & Kim K N (2021). Calcium Sensor SlCBL4 Associates with SlCIPK24 Protein Kinase and Mediates Salt Tolerance in Solanum lycopersicum. Plants 10(10): 2173. https://doi.org/10.3390/plants10102173
Coulibaly A S, Kouakou K L, Dao J P, Kouakou C & Dedi J K (2023). Enhancing Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) Fruit Yield and Quality and Blossom End Rot Control Using Different Biological Calcium Sources. Journal of Agricultural Chemistry and Environment, 12(3): 263-274. https://doi.org/10.4236/jacen.2023.123020
Cuartero J & Fernández-Muñoz R (1998). Tomato and salinity. Scientia horticulturae 78(1-4): 83-125. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0304 4238(98)00191-5
Cruz-Chamorro I, Santos-Sánchez G, Martín F, Fernández-Pachón M S, Hornero-Méndez D & Cerrillo I (2024). Evaluation of the impact of the ripening stage on the composition and antioxidant properties of fruits from organically grown tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) Spanish varieties. Foods 13(15): 2337. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods13152337
Dogan M, Tipirdamaz R & Demir Y (2010). Salt resistance of tomato species grown in sand culture. Plant Soil and Environment 56(11): 499-507. https://doi.org/10.17221/24/2010-PSE
Elkelish A A, Alnusaire T S, Soliman M H, Gowayed S, Senousy H H & Fahad S (2019). Calcium availability regulates antioxidant system, physio-biochemical activities and alleviates salinity stress mediated oxidative damage in soybean seedlings. Journal of Applied Botany & Food Quality 92: 258-266. https://doi.org/10.5073/JABFQ.2019.092.036.
El-Mogy M M, Garchery C & Stevens R (2018). Irrigation with salt water affects growth, yield, fruit quality, storability and marker-gene expression in cherry tomato. Acta Agriculturae Scandinavica, Section B—Soil & Plant Science 68(8): 727-737 Feng D, Wang X, Gao J, Zhang C & Liu H (2023). Exogenous calcium: Its mechanisms and research advances involved in plant stress tolerance. Frontiers in Plant Science 14, 1143963. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2023.1143963
Foulad M R (2004). Recent advances in genetics of salt tolerance in tomato. Plant Cell, Tissue and Organ Culture 76(2): 101–119. https://doi.org/10.1023/B:TICU.0000007308.47608.88
Foyer C H & Noctor G (2016). Stress-triggered redox signaling: What’s in prospect? Plant Cell & Environment 39(5): 951-964. https://doi.org/10.1111/pce.12621
Gupta B & Huang B (2014). Mechanism of salinity tolerance in plants: physiological, biochemical, and molecular characterization. International journal of genomics (1): 701596. https://doi.org/10.1155/2014/701596 Hernández J A, Diaz-Vivancos P, Ortuño M F, Bernal-Vicente A & Acosta-Motos J R (2021). Oxidative stress and antioxidant responses in plants under abiotic stress. Frontiers in Plant Science 12, 750222.
Hernández-Carranza P, Avila-Sosa R, Vera-López O, Navarro-Cruz A R & Ruíz-Espinosa H (2023). Uncovering the role of hormones in enhancing antioxidant defense systems in stressed tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) plants. Plants 12(20): 3648. https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12203648
Irato P & Santovito G (2021). Enzymatic and non-enzymatic molecules with antioxidant function. Antioxidants 10(4): 579. https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox10040579
Islam M M, Jahan K, Sen A, Urmi T A & Haque M M (2023). Exogenous application of calcium ameliorates salinity stress tolerance of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) and enhances fruit quality. Antioxidants 12(3): 558. https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox12030558
Jaleel C A, Manivannan P, Sankar B, Kishorekumar A & Panneerselvam R (2007). Calcium chloride effects on salinity-induced oxidative stress, proline metabolism and indole alkaloid accumulation in Catharanthus roseus. Comptes Rendus Biologies 330(9): 674-683. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.crvi.2007.07.002
Libutti A, Cammerino A R B & Monteleone M (2018). Risk assessment of soil salinization due to tomato cultivation in Mediterranean climate conditions. Water 10(11): 1503
Manaa A, Faurobert M, Valot B, Bouchet J P & Grasselly D (2013). Effect of salinity and calcium on tomato fruit proteome. OMICS: A Journal of Integrative Biology 17(6): 338-352. https://doi.org/10.1089/omi.2012.0108
Marschner H (2012). Mineral Nutrition of Higher Plants. San Diego: Academic Press, Third Edition, London 135-178. https://doi.org/10.1016/C2009-0-63043-9 and domesticated
Martínez J P, Fuentes R, Farías K, Lizana C & Alfaro J F (2020). Effects of salt stress on fruit antioxidant capacity of wild (Solanum chilense) (Solanum lycopersicum var. cerasiforme) tomatoes. Agronomy https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy10101481 10(10): 1481.
Mestre T C, Garcia-Sanchez F, Rubio F, Martinez V & Rivero R M (2012). Glutathione homeostasis as an important and novel factor controlling blossom-end rot development in calcium-deficient tomato fruits. Journal of Plant Physiology 169(17): 1719-1727. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jplph.2012.07.013
Murshed R, Lopez-Lauri F & Sallanon H (2014). Effect of salt stress on tomato fruit antioxidant systems depends on fruit development stage. Physiology and Molecular Biology of Plants 20(1): 15-29. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12298-013-0209-z
Nizam R, Hosain M T, Hossain M E, Islam M M & Haque M A (2019). Salt stress mitigation by calcium nitrate in tomato plant. Asian Journal of Medical and Biological Research 5(1): 87-93. https://doi.org/10.3329/AJMBR.V5I1.41050
Parvin K, Ahamed K U, Islam M M & Haque N (2016). Modulation of ion uptake in tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum L.) plants with exogenous application of calcium under salt stress condition. Poljoprivreda 22(2): 40-49
Parvin K, Ahamed K U, Islam M M, Haque M N & Hore P K (2015). Reproductive behavior of tomato plant under saline condition with exogenous application of calcium. Mid East J. Sci. Res, 23(12): 2920-6. https://doi.org/10.5829/idosi.mejsr.2015.23.12.22866
Rab A, Sajid M, Ahmad N, Nawab K & Ali S G (2017). Foliar calcium application ameliorates salinity-induced changes of tomato crop grown in saline conditions. Sarhad Journal of Agriculture 33(4): 540-548
Rajput V D, Harish Singh R K, Verma K K, Sharma L & Quiroz-Figueroa F R (2021). Recent developments in enzymatic antioxidant defence mechanism in plants with special reference to abiotic stress. Biology 10(4): 267. https://doi.org/10.3390/biology10040267
Roșca M, Mihalache G & Stoleru V (2023). Tomato responses to salinity stress: From morphological traits to genetic changes. Frontiers in plant science, 14, 1118383.
Roychowdhury A, Basu S & Sengupta D N (2013). Biochemical and molecular basis of salt tolerance in plants: A recent perspective. Acta Physiologiae Plantarum 35(10): 2803–2817
Sachdev S, Ansari S A, Ansari M I, Fujita M & Hasanuzzaman M (2021). Abiotic stress and reactive oxygen species: Generation, signaling, and defense mechanisms. Antioxidants 10(2): 277. https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox10020277
Schmitz-Eiberger M, Haefs R & Noga G (2002). Calcium deficiency-influence on the antioxidative defense system in tomato plants. Journal of Plant Physiology 159(7): 733-742. https://doi.org/10.1078/0176-1617-0621
Shabani E, Tabatabaei S J, Bolandnazar S & Ghasemi K (2012). Vegetative growth and nutrient uptake of salinity stressed cherry tomato in different calcium and potassium level. Int. Res. J. Appl. Basic Sci, 3: 1845-1853.
Sousa B, Rodrigues F, Soares C, Martins M & Azenha M (2022). Impact of combined heat and salt stresses on tomato plants insights into nutrient uptake and redox homeostasis. Antioxidants, 11(3): 478. https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox11030478
Tanveer K, Gilani S, Hussain Z, Ishaq R & Adeel M (2020). Effect of salt stress on tomato plant and the role of calcium. Journal of Plant Nutrition 43(1): 28-35. https://doi.org/10.1080/01904167.2019.1659324
Venkat A & Muneer S (2022) Role of Circadian Rhythms in Major Plant Metabolic and Signaling Pathways. Front. Plant Sci. 13: 836244. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2022.836244
Venkat A, Bae D W & Muneer S (2023). Circadian Clock Contributes to Modulate Salinity Stress-Responsive Antioxidative Mechanisms and Chloroplast Proteome in Spinacia oleracea. Agriculture 13(2): 429.
White P J & Broadley M R (2003). Calcium in plants. Annals of Botany 92(4): 487-511. https://doi.org/10.1093/aob/mcg164
Zhou M & Wang W (2022). SOS1 safeguards plant circadian rhythm against daily salt fluctuations. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 119(36): e2212950119. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2212950119

Details

Primary Language

English

Subjects

Vegetable Growing and Treatment

Journal Section

Research Article

Authors

Zuher Rashid Shakir ^*
0000-0003-4467-2637
Iraq

Naif Geboloğlu
0000-0003-2495-7088
Türkiye

Hakan Kartal
0000-0002-3870-1588
Türkiye

Publication Date

July 28, 2026

Submission Date

October 18, 2025

Acceptance Date

February 28, 2026

Published in Issue

Year 2026 Volume: 32 Number: 3

DOI

https://doi.org/10.15832/ankutbd.1806495

IZ

https://izlik.org/JA67RT43GN

Cite

RIS / Bibtex

APA

Shakir, Z. R., Geboloğlu, N., & Kartal, H. (2026). Evaluation of The Effect of Different Calcium Doses on Yield, Antioxidant Enzyme Activity and Malondialdehyde Levels in Tomato under Salinity Stress. Journal of Agricultural Sciences, 32(3), 737-747. https://doi.org/10.15832/ankutbd.1806495

AMA

1.Shakir ZR, Geboloğlu N, Kartal H. Evaluation of The Effect of Different Calcium Doses on Yield, Antioxidant Enzyme Activity and Malondialdehyde Levels in Tomato under Salinity Stress. J Agr Sci-Tarim Bili. 2026;32(3):737-747. doi:10.15832/ankutbd.1806495

Chicago

Shakir, Zuher Rashid, Naif Geboloğlu, and Hakan Kartal. 2026. “Evaluation of The Effect of Different Calcium Doses on Yield, Antioxidant Enzyme Activity and Malondialdehyde Levels in Tomato under Salinity Stress”. Journal of Agricultural Sciences 32 (3): 737-47. https://doi.org/10.15832/ankutbd.1806495.

EndNote

Shakir ZR, Geboloğlu N, Kartal H (July 1, 2026) Evaluation of The Effect of Different Calcium Doses on Yield, Antioxidant Enzyme Activity and Malondialdehyde Levels in Tomato under Salinity Stress. Journal of Agricultural Sciences 32 3 737–747.

IEEE

[1]Z. R. Shakir, N. Geboloğlu, and H. Kartal, “Evaluation of The Effect of Different Calcium Doses on Yield, Antioxidant Enzyme Activity and Malondialdehyde Levels in Tomato under Salinity Stress”, J Agr Sci-Tarim Bili, vol. 32, no. 3, pp. 737–747, July 2026, doi: 10.15832/ankutbd.1806495.

ISNAD

Shakir, Zuher Rashid - Geboloğlu, Naif - Kartal, Hakan. “Evaluation of The Effect of Different Calcium Doses on Yield, Antioxidant Enzyme Activity and Malondialdehyde Levels in Tomato under Salinity Stress”. Journal of Agricultural Sciences 32/3 (July 1, 2026): 737-747. https://doi.org/10.15832/ankutbd.1806495.

JAMA

1.Shakir ZR, Geboloğlu N, Kartal H. Evaluation of The Effect of Different Calcium Doses on Yield, Antioxidant Enzyme Activity and Malondialdehyde Levels in Tomato under Salinity Stress. J Agr Sci-Tarim Bili. 2026;32:737–747.

MLA

Shakir, Zuher Rashid, et al. “Evaluation of The Effect of Different Calcium Doses on Yield, Antioxidant Enzyme Activity and Malondialdehyde Levels in Tomato under Salinity Stress”. Journal of Agricultural Sciences, vol. 32, no. 3, July 2026, pp. 737-4, doi:10.15832/ankutbd.1806495.

Vancouver

1.Zuher Rashid Shakir, Naif Geboloğlu, Hakan Kartal. Evaluation of The Effect of Different Calcium Doses on Yield, Antioxidant Enzyme Activity and Malondialdehyde Levels in Tomato under Salinity Stress. J Agr Sci-Tarim Bili. 2026 Jul. 1;32(3):737-4. doi:10.15832/ankutbd.1806495