Document Type : Original Article
Authors
1
Horticulture, Fac. of Agri., Kafrelsheikh Univ.
2
Horticulture Dept., Fac of Agriculture, Kafrelsheikh University
3
Department of Soil and Water, Faculty of Agriculture, Kafr El-Sheikh University, Egypt
4
Prof. of on-farm irrigation and drainage engineering, Agricultural Engineering Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Kafrelsheikh University, Kafr El-Sheikh 33516, Egypt
5
Horticulture Research Institute, Sakha Station
10.21608/ejss.2025.427681.2389
Abstract
High temperature and salinity are critical abiotic stresses that severely limit tomato production, especially in coastal farmlands of arid and semi-arid regions. The current study was conducted in the north River Nile Delta close to Mediterranean Sea coast to evaluate the performance of tomato plants under combined heat and salinity stresses during the late summer season. Treatments included the application of salt repellent through the irrigation system and/or foliar spray with an anti-stressor. The effect of salt repellent and/or anti-stressor applications on plant growth, photosynthesis activity, antioxidant enzymes activity, flowering and fruit yield as well as fruit quality were investigated in comparison to untreated plants. Salt repellent contained Ca, fulvic acid, legnosulphenic acid and organic acids, however, the foliar spray anti-stressor contained a solution of Mn and amino acids (lysine, proline, glutamic and glycine). The results showed the significant reduction by applying both of salinity repellent and anti-stress in soil salts by about 26.5 and 13.2% in both seasons, respectively compared to control treatment. Results showed that untreated plants were highly affected by heat and salinity, exhibiting reduced growth, photosynthetic activity, and yield. However, the studied anti-stressors improved plant growth, biomass, leaf area, photosynthesis, antioxidant enzymes activity, proline content, flowering attributes, and fruit yield and quality. Total fruit yield was increased by 25.2-34.6% when the plant treated by salt repellent and by 10-24% with foliar spray by anti-stressor and by 14-22% with the combined treatment of salt repellent and anti-stressor application. These ratios were also achieved for water productivity and the extent of utilization of the cubic meter used for irrigation. These findings emphasize the role of anti-stressors in mitigating heat and salinity impacts on tomato, suggesting that further research should optimize formulations and application methods to improve crop adaptation under combined environmental conditions to support small farmers in the affected farmlands
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