Mitigation Of Sodium Chloride Stress In Tomato (Solanum Lycopersicum L.) Through Foliar Application Of Chitosan Nanoparticles

Abstract

Salinity stress is a major problem in farming since it makes crops grow more slowly and yield less because of ion toxicity, osmotic imbalance. One of the most common horticultural crops, tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum L.), are very vulnerable to salt, which reduces their levels of growth-and metabolism-supporting proteins and amino acids. This study evaluated the efficacy of foliar sprays containing chitosan nanoparticles (ChNPs) in preventing salt stress in tomato plants. As a consequence of exposure to salt, plants produced less soluble protein and more free amino acids. But when ChNPs were sprayed on the leaves of plants that were stressed by salt, the protein content and amino acid levels improved a lot, bringing them back to levels that were more like those of plants that weren't affected. Chitosan nanoparticles (ChNPs) have ability to enhance ROS removal and regulate stress-associated plant hormones. The work highlights the potential of Chitosan nanoparticles (ChNPs) as an eco-friendly and economical biostimulant to mitigate salt stress and enhance crop resilience, growth, and yield.