Foliar melatonin application enhances strawberry tolerance to combined salinity and drought stress: Insights into physiological and biochemical mechanisms

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dc.contributor.authorKutsal, Ibrahim Kutalmis
dc.contributor.authorKaraat, Firat Ege
dc.date.accessioned2026-06-19T06:38:19Z
dc.date.available2026-06-19T06:38:19Z
dc.date.issued2026
dc.departmentMalatya Turgut Özal Üniversitesi
dc.description.abstractBackground Drought and salinity are major abiotic constraints in strawberry production, adversely affecting plant growth, photosynthesis, and cellular stability. Melatonin has emerged as a promising biostimulant due to its role in regulating stress responses and antioxidant defense mechanisms in plants.Objective This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of foliar melatonin application in mitigating the effects of individual and combined drought and salinity stress in strawberry (Fragaria & times; ananassa Duch. cv. 'Albion').Method The experiment was conducted in a completely randomized design. Strawberry plants were exposed to salinity stress (35 mM NaCl), drought stress (40% reduced irrigation), or their combination. Melatonin was applied foliarly at 50 & micro;M under stress conditions. Growth parameters, chlorophyll content, membrane permeability, oxidative stress indicators, proline content, and antioxidant enzyme activities were evaluated.Results Under drought stress, melatonin-treated plants exhibited significant improvements in leaf number (5.7%), fresh weight (4.2%), and chlorophyll content (11.2% SPAD increase) compared to untreated plants. Melatonin significantly reduced malondialdehyde (MDA) accumulation by 24.4% under drought (9.31 vs. 12.31 nmol g-1 FW) and by 18.6% under salinity stress (8.49 vs. 10.43 nmol g-1 FW). Furthermore, melatonin enhanced antioxidant defense, with superoxide dismutase (SOD) and peroxidase (POD) activities increasing by 28.1% and 12.7%, respectively, under drought stress compared to non-melatonin drought-stressed plants. In contrast, under combined drought and salinity stress, melatonin showed limited effectiveness; although it supported survival, the plants displayed reduced growth performance and a significant increase in membrane permeability (reaching 21.13%), suggesting a physiological threshold under multifaceted stress.Conclusions Foliar melatonin application effectively improves strawberry tolerance to individual drought or salinity stress by enhancing growth performance and antioxidant capacity, whereas its protective effect is markedly reduced under combined stress conditions. These findings suggest that while melatonin is a sustainable strategy for single-stress mitigation, its efficacy is constrained under the synergistic pressure of the abiotic stress matrix.
dc.identifier.doi10.1177/18785093261442971
dc.identifier.issn1878-5093
dc.identifier.issn1878-5123
dc.identifier.urihttps://doi.org/10.1177/18785093261442971
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12899/5502
dc.identifier.wosWOS:001743880000001
dc.identifier.wosqualityQ3
dc.indekslendigikaynakWeb of Science
dc.language.isoen
dc.publisherSage Publications Inc
dc.relation.ispartofJournal of Berry Research
dc.relation.publicationcategoryMakale - Uluslararası Hakemli Dergi - Kurum Öğretim Elemanı
dc.rightsinfo:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
dc.snmzKA_WOS_20260612
dc.subjectFragaria & Times
dc.subjectAnanassa
dc.subjectAbiotic Stress Matrix
dc.subjectAntioxidant Priming
dc.subjectOsmoprotection
dc.subjectPhytohormone
dc.titleFoliar melatonin application enhances strawberry tolerance to combined salinity and drought stress: Insights into physiological and biochemical mechanisms
dc.typeArticle

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