Ameliorative effects of SL on tolerance to salt stress on pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) plants

Salinity is one of the most important problems that threaten agricultural production, especially in arid and semiarid areas. Strigolactones (SLs) are important in providing tolerance to various abiotic stresses in plants. The study was carried out in a hydroponic system to determine the effects of external GR24 (were applied as a foliar spray; 0, 10, and 20 mu M) applications at different doses on plant growth and some physiological, biochemical, and gene expression in two pepper genotype (Yalova and Maras,) grown under salt stress (0 and 100 mM NaCl). Plants were harvested and measured 10 days after the NaCl treatments. At the end of the research, it was determined that salt stress negatively affected plant growth in both genotype. Still, SL applications positively affected plant development both under normal and salt stress. While salt stress increased the amount of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and malondialdehyde (MDA), SL application caused a decrease in these parameters. Salt stress negatively affected the amount of chlorophyll and photosynthetic properties in both genotype, whereas SL applications mitigated this negative effect. SL applications caused a significant increase in antioxidant enzyme activities under both normal and salt stress conditions. SL content, which decreased with salt stress, increased with exogenous SL application. The content of other plant nutrients except sodium (Na) and chloride (Cl) decreased significantly in pepper seedlings grown under salt stress. External SL applications increased the uptake of these nutrients, especially under salt stress. In addition, the expression levels of CIPK3, CBL2, CCD7, DMAX2, PsbA, PsbB, PsbP1, TIP1;2, TIP5;1, SOS1, SOS2 and HKT2;2 genes were investigated in this study. It was observed that the expression levels of CCD7, DMAX2, SOS1, SOS2, and HKT2;2 genes increased with salinity stress, especially in the Maras, genotype, while SL applications decreased these expression levels. In the study, it was determined that especially exogenous 20 mu M SL application could significantly reduce the negative effects of salt stress in pepper.