Foliar Application of Selenium Mitigates Salinity-Induced Growth and Photosynthetic Impairment in Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) Cultivars
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: Soil salinity severely limits tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) productivity worldwide. This study investigated whether foliar selenium (Se) application alleviates salinity stress in two tomato cultivars (Rio Grande and Nagina). A completely randomized design with three replications was employed under controlled conditions. Plants were subjected to three salinity levels (0, 50, and 100 mM NaCl) and three foliar Se treatments (0, 5, and 10 mM sodium selenate). Data were collected on growth parameters, chlorophyll contents, and sodium (Na⁺) and potassium (K⁺) accumulation. Salinity stress at 100 mM NaCl significantly (p ≤ 0.05) reduced shoot length (27%), root length (94%), shoot fresh weight (15%), total chlorophyll (32%), and K⁺ content (32%), while increasing Na⁺ accumulation (92%) compared to the control. Foliar application of 10 mM Se significantly mitigated these effects. Under 100 mM NaCl, 10 mM Se restored shoot length to 89% of control, total chlorophyll to 97% of control, and K⁺ to 92% of control, while reducing Na⁺ by 33%. The K⁺/Na⁺ ratio improved from 3.5 under salinity alone to 7.2 with Se application. Rio Grande exhibited superior Se responsiveness compared to Nagina. Analysis of variance revealed significant (p ≤ 0.001) main effects of salinity, Se, and variety on all parameters. It is concluded that foliar application of 10 mM selenium effectively alleviates salinity-induced growth impairment in tomato by preserving chlorophyll integrity and maintaining K⁺/Na⁺ homeostasis. Rio Grande is recommended for cultivation under saline conditions with Se supplementation.
Institution: Ghazi University
Language: English
Subfield: Plant Science
Domain: Life Sciences
SDG: Zero hunger
Open Access status: hybrid
OpenAlex ID: W7155207147