Effect of Fertilizer Application on Biochemical and Physiological Parameters of Salt-Stressed Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) Plants

Abstract

Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) is a vital horticultural product that significantly contributes to human nutrition because of its high levels of antioxidants, vitamins, and other health-promoting compounds. It is considered a moderately salt-tolerant species; however, excessive soil salinity is one of the main abiotic stresses that limit its productivity worldwide. High soil salt levels negatively impact seed germination, root and shoot growth, leaf expansion, and overall plant health, ultimately causing severe yield reductions. Salinity stress also leads to ion toxicity, osmotic imbalance, and oxidative damage by stimulating the enhanced reactive oxygen species (ROS). As a result, plants show increased levels of proline, malondialdehyde (MDA), hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂), and total sugars, which are markers of stress but also indicate cellular damage. To counteract these harmful effects, proper nutrient management strategies are essential. Diammonium phosphate (DAP) fertilizer, a source of both nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P), is essential for fostering plant growth, regulating physiological processes, and supporting the biosynthesis of key metabolites. This study evaluated the exogenous foliar application of DAP fertilizer on tomato seedlings under salt stress. The results showed that additional N and P significantly enhanced seedling growth parameters—including root and stem length, leaf area, and chlorophyll content—while reducing oxidative damage by limiting excess proline, MDA, and H₂O₂ levels. Overall, the findings underscore the effectiveness of DAP fertilizer in alleviating salt stress in tomato seedlings. This approach provides a scientific basis for developing sustainable fertilization practices and offers a practical benefit to growers in saline-prone areas by improving seedling establishment and productivity.

Keywords

• Solanum lycopersicum L.
• Salt stress
• Fertilizer
• Proline
• Total sugar content.

Gübre Uygulamasının Tuz Stresine Maruz Kalmış Domates (Solanum lycopersicum L.) Bitkilerinde Biyokimyasal ve Fizyolojik Parametreler Üzerine Etkisi

Abstract

Domates (Solanum lycopersicum L.), yüksek düzeyde antioksidan, vitamin ve diğer sağlık açısından faydalı bileşenler içermesi nedeniyle insan beslenmesine önemli katkı sağlayan değerli bir bahçe bitkisidir. Orta derecede tuza dayanıklı bir tür olarak kabul edilmesine rağmen, aşırı toprak tuzluluğu, dünya genelinde verimliliğini sınırlayan başlıca abiyotik stres faktörlerinden biridir. Yüksek toprak tuzluluğu, tohum çimlenmesini, kök ve gövde gelişimini, yaprak genişlemesini ve genel bitki sağlığını olumsuz etkileyerek ciddi verim kayıplarına yol açmaktadır. Tuz stresi aynı zamanda iyon toksisitesine, ozmotik dengesizliğe ve reaktif oksijen türlerinin (ROS) artışıyla oksidatif hasara neden olmaktadır. Bunun sonucunda, bitkilerde stresin belirteçleri olmakla birlikte hücresel hasarı da gösteren prolin, malondialdehit (MDA), hidrojen peroksit (H₂O₂) ve toplam şeker düzeylerinde artış gözlenmektedir. Bu zararlı etkilerin önlenebilmesi için uygun besin yönetim stratejileri büyük önem taşımaktadır. Azot (N) ve fosfor (P) kaynağı olan diamonyum fosfat (DAP) gübresi, bitki büyümesini desteklemek, fizyolojik süreçleri düzenlemek ve temel metabolitlerin biyosentezini teşvik etmek açısından kritik öneme sahiptir. Bu çalışmada, tuz stresi altındaki domates fidelerine DAP gübresinin yapraktan dışsal uygulaması değerlendirilmiştir. Sonuçlar, ek N ve P uygulamasının kök ve gövde uzunluğu, yaprak alanı ve klorofil içeriği gibi fide büyüme parametrelerini önemli ölçüde artırırken, aşırı prolin, MDA ve H₂O₂ birikimini sınırlandırarak oksidatif hasarı azalttığını göstermiştir. Genel olarak bulgular, DAP gübresinin domates fidelerinde tuz stresini hafifletmedeki etkinliğini vurgulamaktadır. Bu yaklaşım, sürdürülebilir gübreleme uygulamalarının geliştirilmesi için bilimsel bir temel sunmakta ve tuzluluğa yatkın alanlarda fide gelişimi ile verimliliği artırarak üreticilere pratik faydalar sağlamaktadır.

Keywords

• Solanum lycopersicum L.
• Tuz stresi
• Gübre
• Prolin
• Toplam şeker içeriği

References

1. Omodamiro OD, Amechi U. The phytochemical content, antioxidant, antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory activities of Lycopersicon esculentum (Tomato). Asian Journal of Plant Science & Research. 2013;3(5):70–81.
2. Raza MA, Saeed A, Munir H, Ziaf K, Shakeel A, Saeed N, Munawar A, Rehman F. Screening of tomato genotypes for salinity tolerance based on early growth attributes and leaf inorganic osmolytes. Archives of Agronomy and Soil Science. 2017;63(4):501–12. doi: 10.1080/03650340.2016.1224856.
3. Gill SS, Tuteja N. Reactive oxygen species and antioxidant machinery in abiotic stress tolerance in crop plants. Plant Physiology and Biochemistry . 2010;48(12):909–30. doi: 10.1016/j.plaphy.2010.08.016.
4. Zandalinas SI, Mittler R, Balfagón D, Arbona V, Gómez‐Cadenas A. Plant adaptations to the combination of drought and high temperatures. Physiologia plantarum, 2018;162(1): 2-12.
5. FAO. Food and Agriculture Organization. 2018. http://www.fao.org/soils-portal/soil-management/management-ofsome-problem-soils/salt-affected-soils/more-information-on-salt-affected-soils/en/
6. Luo MB, Liu F. Salinity-induced oxidative stress and regulation of antioxidant defense system in the marine macroalga Ulva Prolifer. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology. 2011;409(1-2):223–8. doi: 10. 1016/j.jembe.2011.08.023.
7. Amjad MS, Akhtar S, Yang A, Akhtar J, Jacobsen SE. Antioxidative response of quinoa exposed to iso-osmotic, ionic and non-ionic salt stress. Journal of Agronomy and Crop Science. 2015;201(6):452–60. doi: 10.1111/ jac.12140.
8. Zhu M, Chen G, Zhang J, Zhang Y, Xie Q, Zhao Z, Pan Y, Hu Z. The abiotic stress-responsive NAC-type transcription factor slnac4 regulates salt and drought tolerance and stress-related genes in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum). Plant Cell Reports. 2014;33(11):1851–63. doi: 10.1007/s00299-014-1662-z.

9. Wang LM, Zhang LD, Chen JB, Huang DF, Zhang YD. Physiological analysis and transcriptome comparison of two muskmelon (Cucumis melo L.) cultivars in response to salt stress. Genetics and Molecular Research. 2016;15(3). doi: 10.4238/gmr 15038738.
10. SHEWFELT RL, TIJSKENS, LMA more integrated view. In Fruit and Vegetable Quality 2000;(pp. 312-324). CRC Press.
11. Lambers H Phosphorus acquisition and utilization in plants. Annual Review of Plant Biology. 2022;73(1):17-42.
12. Kraiser T, Gras DE, Gutiérrez AG, Gonzalez B, Gutiérrez RAA. holistic view of nitrogen acquisition in plants. Journal of Experimental Botany. 2011;62,1455–1466.
13. Galloway JN, Dentener FJ, Capone DG, Boyer EW, Howarth RW, Seitzinger SP, Asner GP, Cleveland CC, Green P, Holland EA. Nitrogen cycles: Past, present, and future. Biogeochemistry. 2004;70, 153–226.
14. Arnon DI. Copper enzymes in isolated chloroplasts. Polyphenoloxidase in Beta vulgaris. Plant physiology. 1949;24(1), 1.
15. Dhindsa RS, Matowe W. Drought tolerance in two mosses: correlated with enzymatic defence against lipid peroxidation. Journal of Experimental Botany 1981;32(1),79-91.
16. Hodges DM, DeLong JM, Forney CF, Prange RK. Improving the thiobarbituric acid-reactive-substances assay for estimating lipid peroxidation in plant tissues containing anthocyanin and other interfering compounds. Planta. 1999;207(4), 604-611.
17. Sergiev I, Alexieva V, Karanov E. Effect of spermine, atrazine and the combination between them on some endogenous protective systems and stress markers in plants. Proceedings of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences. 1997;51(3), 121-124.
18. Velikova V, Yordanov I, Edreva A. Oxidative Stress and Some Antioxidant Systems in Acid RainTreated Bean Plants: Protective Role of Exogenous Polyamines. Plant Science. 2000;151, 59-66. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0168-9452(99)00197-1
19. Krivorotova T, Sereikaite J. Determination of fructan exohydrolase activity in the crude extracts of plants. Electronic Journal of Biotechnology. 2014;17(6),329–333. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejbt.2014.09.005
20. Rodriguez R, Redman R. Balancing the generation and elimination of reactive oxygen species. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 2005;102(9), 3175-3176.
21. Zhang M, Sun D, Niu Z, Yan J, Zhou X, Kang X. Effects of combined organic/inorganic fertilizer application on growth, photosynthetic characteristics, yield and fruit quality of Actinidia chinesis cv ‘Hong yang’. Global Ecology and Conservation 2020;22: e00997. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gecco.2020.e00997.
22. Juárez-Maldonado A, de-Alba-Romenus K, Morales-Díaz AB, Benavides-Mendoza A. Macronutrient uptake dynamics in greenhouse tomato crop. Journal of Plant Nutrition 2017;40(13):1908-1919. https://doi.org/10.1080/01904167.2016.127031
23. Bose J, Rodrigo-Moreno A, Shabala S. ROS homeostasis in halophytes in the context of salinity stress tolerance. Journal of Experimental Botany.2014;65(5):1241–57. https://doi.org/10.1093/jxb/ert430.
24. Pourghayoumi M, Bakhshi D, Rahemi M, Kamgar-Haghighati AA, Aalami M. The physiological responses of various pomegranate cultivars to drought stress and recovery in order to screen for drought tolerance. Scientia Horticulturae.. 2017;217:164–72.
25. Polash MAS, Sakil MDA, Hossain MDA. Plants responses and their physiological and biochemical defense mechanisms against salinity: A review. Trop Plant Res. 2019;6(2):250–74.
26. Tian J, Jiang F, Wu Z. The apoplastic oxidative burst as a key factor of hyperhydricity in garlic plantlet in vitro. Plant Cell, Tissue and Organ Culture (PCTOC). 2015;120:571–84.
27. Murshed P, Lopez-Lauri F, Sallanon H. Effect of salt stress on tomato fruit antioxidant systems depends on fruit development stage. Physiology and Molecular Biology of Plants. . 2014;20(1):15–29. https://doi.org/10.1007/ s12298-013-0209-z.
28. Nazar R, Umara S, Khan NA, Sareer O. Salicylic acid supplementation improves photosynthesis and growth in mustard through changes in proline accumulation and ethylene formation under drought stress. South African Journal of Botany.2015;98:84–94. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sajb.2015. 02.005.
29. Foyer CH, Noctor G. Oxidant and antioxidant signaling in plants: a reevaluation of the concept of oxidative stress in a physiological context. Plant Cell Environment. 2005;28(8):1056–71.
30. Wu H, Hill CB, Stefano G, Bose J. Editorial: New insights into salinity sensing, signaling and adaptation in plants. Frontiers in Plant Science.. 2021;11:604139. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2020.604139.
31. Bezirganoglu I. Reasponse of five triticale genotypes to salt stress in in vitro culture. Turkish Journal of Agriculture and Forestry. 2017;41:372–80. https://doi.org/10.3906/ tar-1703-103
32. Mittler R. Oxidative stress, antioxidants and stress tolerance. Trends in plant science. 2002;7, 405–410.
33. Tekaya M, El-Gharbi S, Mechri B, Chehab H, Bchir A, Chraief I, Ayachi M, Boujnah D, Attia F, Hammami M. Improving performance of olive trees by the enhancement of key physiological parameters of olive leaves in response to foliar fertilization. Acta Physiologiae Plantarum. 2016;38, 101–109.
34. Akram MS, Ashraf M. Alleviation of adverse effects of salt stress on sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) by exogenous application of potassium nitrate. Journal of Applied Botany and Food Quality. 2009;83, 19–27.