2018/01/01 by Tony Kevork Sajyan, N. Shaban, Sajyan, T.K. +5
Agricultural and Biological Sciences · #Plant Growth Enhancement Techniques #Plant Growth and Agriculture Techniques #article #foliar fertilizers #fruit quality #fruit yield #osmoregulator #salt-tolerance
paper · doi:10.15159/ar.18.079
openalex publication_date 2018/01/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/01
Salinity problem is increasingly affecting tomato production in Lebanon leading to economic losses. The study investigated the potential effects of nano - Calcium (LITHOVIT®), monopotassium - phosphate (MKP: 0 - 52 - 34) fertilizers, Acetyl salicylic aci d (Aspirin) and the osmoregulator glycinebetaine (GB) on salt tolerance of potted determinate tomato (variety Sila) plants in open - field. Salt stress was induced by irrigation solutions of EC = 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10 mS cm - 1 and MKP (2, 3 and 3.5 g L - 1 ), Aspirin (50, 75 and 100 mg L - 1 ), LITHOVIT® (0.5, 0.75 and 1 g L - 1 ) and GB (4.5, 6 and 7.5 g L - 1 ) were applied through foliar application or fertigation. Comparisons between treated and non - treated plants at each salinity level (control) showed that LITHOVI T® decreased the salinity - induced reductions in stem diameter, leaf area and chlorophyll content. Medium concentrations of LITHOVIT® and Aspirin improved stem diameter and all products except Glycinebetaine improved flower number compared to control. Root dry weight and Root Mass Fraction were mostly enhanced in MKP and Aspirin - treated plants. Best improvement in plant yield (76%) was obtained with low concentrations of MKP and LITHOVIT® at EC = 8 mS cm - 1 due to improvement in fruit number rather than fruit weight. Consequently, LITHOVIT® and MKP showed superior effects under salt stress compared to Aspirin and Glycinebtaine.