Plants, Vol. 15, Pages 21: Foliar Application of Selenium in Mitigating Salinity Stress on the Physiology, Growth, and Yield of Okra

Plants doi: 10.3390/plants15010021

Authors:
Allesson Ramos de Souza
Carlos Alberto Vieira de Azevedo
Lucyelly Dâmela Araújo Borborema
Geovani Soares de Lima
Lauriane Almeida dos Anjos Soares
André Alisson Rodrigues da Silva
Kheila Gomes Nunes
Denis Soares Costa
Pedro Henrique Duarte Durval
Thiago Filipe de Lima Arruda
Rosany Duarte Sales
Pâmela Monique Valões da Cruz
Brendo Júnior Pereira Farias
Hans Raj Gheyi
Vera Lúcia Antunes de Lima
Jailton Garcia Ramos

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of selenium concentrations in mitigating salt stress on the physiology, growth, and yield of okra plants irrigated with brackish water. Treatments consisted of four irrigation water salinity levels (ECw: 0.4, 1.3, 2.2, and 3.1 dS m−1) combined with four selenium concentrations (0, 5, 10, and 15 mg L−1), arranged in a randomized block design in a 4 × 4 factorial scheme, with three replicates and one plant per plot. Increasing irrigation water salinity from 0.4 dS m−1 reduced relative water content, gas exchange, initial chlorophyll a fluorescence, plant growth, and production of okra, while increasing the percentage of electrolyte leakage. Irrigation Water salinity levels above 0.4 dS m−1 impaired plant water status, gas exchange, growth, chlorophyll a fluorescence, yield, and water-use efficiency, while increasing electrolyte leakage. Salinity above 1.0 dS m−1 also inhibited photosynthetic pigment synthesis. Selenium did not mitigate salinity-induced reductions in chlorophyll and carotenoids. However, foliar Se at 8.6–15 mg L−1 enhanced gas exchange, chlorophyll a fluorescence, growth, and fruit yield under salinity up to 3.1 dS m−1. These results support Se induced attenuation of salinity stress, warranting further mechanistic studies.

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Allesson Ramos de Souza www.mdpi.com