Silicon Nanoparticles and Methyl Jasmonate Improve Physiological Response and Increase Expression of Stress-related Genes in Strawberry cv. Paros Under Salinity Stress

Salinity is one of the most crucial abiotic stresses, which is the consequence of an increase in the concentration of NaCl ions, influencing the plant's growth, development, and yield. The present study was aimed to evaluate the effects of methyl jasmonate (MeJA) (0.5 mM) and silicon nanoparticles (2 mM) on physiological characteristics and spatial expression patterns of some salinity-related genes (DREB, cAPX, Mn-SOD, and GST) in strawberry cv. Paros under saline (50 mM NaCl) and non-saline conditions, at 12, 24, and 36 h after treatments' initiation. Based on the results, salinity increased the content of H2O2, proline and the activity of SOD in a time-dependent manner, while it decreased the percentage of MSI and the content of total soluble protein (TSP). In contrast, the implementation of Si nanoparticles and MeJA not only decreased H2O2 and maintained MSI percentage, but they also recovered TSP content and increased the transcription level of DREB, cAPX, MnSOD, and GST genes. We concluded that strawberry plants had a better response to salinity by enhancing both enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidant physiological protection mechanisms and also by increasing the transcription of salinity-related genes upon MeJA and Si application.