Exogenous application of melatonin mitigates salt stress in soybean

Pablo Henrique de Almeida Oliveira; Sarah Alencar de Sá; João Everthon da Silva Ribeiro; Jéssica Paloma Pinheiro da Silva; Francismária Freitas de Lima; Ilmara Beatriz Menezes Silva; Lindomar Maria da Silveira; Aurélio Paes Barros Júnior

doi:10.1590/1983-21252025v3812698rc

Authors

Pablo Henrique de Almeida Oliveira Department of Agricultural and Forestry Sciences, Universidade Federal Rural do Semi-Árido, Mossoró, RN, Brazil https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9128-6179
Sarah Alencar de Sá Department of Agricultural and Forestry Sciences, Universidade Federal Rural do Semi-Árido, Mossoró, RN, Brazil https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5418-1842
João Everthon da Silva Ribeiro Department of Agricultural and Forestry Sciences, Universidade Federal Rural do Semi-Árido, Mossoró, RN, Brazil https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1937-0066
Jéssica Paloma Pinheiro da Silva Department of Agricultural and Forestry Sciences, Universidade Federal Rural do Semi-Árido, Mossoró, RN, Brazil https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5078-3125
Francismária Freitas de Lima Department of Agricultural and Forestry Sciences, Universidade Federal Rural do Semi-Árido, Mossoró, RN, Brazil https://orcid.org/0009-0003-5132-2376
Ilmara Beatriz Menezes Silva Department of Agricultural and Forestry Sciences, Universidade Federal Rural do Semi-Árido, Mossoró, RN, Brazil https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9281-4831
Lindomar Maria da Silveira Department of Agricultural and Forestry Sciences, Universidade Federal Rural do Semi-Árido, Mossoró, RN, Brazil https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9719-7417
Aurélio Paes Barros Júnior Department of Agricultural and Forestry Sciences, Universidade Federal Rural do Semi-Árido, Mossoró, RN, Brazil https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6983-8245

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.1590/1983-21252025v3812698rc

Keywords:

Glycine max. Salinity. Mitigating. Bioregulator.

Abstract

Salinity is an abiotic factor that impairs the growth and physiological, biochemical, and molecular mechanisms of plants. Among plants, soybeans are an important crop worldwide, so managing abiotic factors is essential to mitigate plant damage. However, biostimulants, such as melatonin, are being employed to alleviate the stress caused by these factors. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the growth, photosynthetic pigments, and water relations of soybean plants subjected to salinity levels and exogenous melatonin application. The research was conducted in experimental area belonging to the Federal Rural University of the Semi-Arid Region, Mossoró, RN, Brazil. The experimental design was randomized blocks, arranged in a 3 x 3 factorial scheme (three salinity levels in the irrigation water – 0.50, 3.00, and 5.00 dS m^-1 and three melatonin concentrations – 0, 0.5, and 1 mM) with three replications. At 47 days after planting, plant height, stem diameter, number of leaves, root length, chlorophyll content (a, b, and total), relative water content, leaf moisture, and electrolyte leakage were evaluated. Soybean plants tolerated the effects of salinity on growth aspects, photosynthetic pigments, and water relations up to 3.00 dS m^-1, regardless of melatonin concentration. Exogenous application of melatonin mitigated the effects of salt stress on chlorophyll b and relative water content at salinity level of 5.00 dS m^-1 and concentration of 1 mM.

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