An interplay of salt and Ni stress on contrasting tomato (<i>Solanum lycopersicum</i> L.) genotypes: a physiological and biochemical insight
Creators: name: Amjad, Muhammad
name: Kousar, Rukhshinda
name: Naeem, Muhammad Asif
name: Imran, Muhammad
name: Nadeem, Muhammad
name: Abbas, Ghulam
name: Khalid, Muhammad Shafique
name: Qaisrani, Saeed Ahmad
name: Azhar, Sajida
name: Murtaza, Behzad
Publisher: name: Taylor & Francis
Year: 2024
Subjects: subject: Biochemistry
subject: Genetics
subject: FOS: Biological sciences
subject: Environmental Sciences not elsewhere classified
subject: Chemical Sciences not elsewhere classified
subject: Ecology
subject: Biological Sciences not elsewhere classified
subject: Plant Biology
subject: Virology

description: The concurrently occurring multiple abiotic stresses like salinity and heavy metals (Nickel) pose a serious threat to plant survival and food security worldwide, especially in the face of climate change. Therefore, it is imperative to continuously test and study the plant’s physiological changes under combinations of abiotic stresses to ensure sustainability and food security. An experiment was conducted to study the interactive effects of salinity (0, 7.5, and 15 dS m<sup>−1</sup>) and Ni toxicity (0, 10, 20, and 40 mg kg<sup>−1</sup>) on a tolerant (Naqeeb) and a sensitive (Nadir) <i>Solanum lycopersicum</i> L. physiology and fruit quality in the soil. At maturity (50% fruit ripening), the plant growth and physiological characteristics were measured, revealing that the tolerant genotype exhibited the higher values for plant height, dry weight, potassium, membrane stability index (MSI), and antioxidant enzymes (superoxide dismutase; SOD, catalase; CAT, ascorbate peroxidase; APX, and glutathione reductase; GR). Additionally, it showed enhancement in fruit yield, size, and quality. Conversely, the tolerant genotypes showed a lower reduction in terms of plant height (25.4%) and plant dry weight (41.9%) compared to sensitive genotype (30.1 and 51.4%, respectively). Additionally, the tolerant genotype demonstrated lower values of Ni and Na<sup>+</sup> concentration and MDA accumulation under the combined stress of salt and Ni, compared to the sensitive genotype. Furthermore, the study indicated that Ni at a concentration of 10 mg kg<sup>−1</sup> significantly influenced tomato plant growth by enhancing its nutritional efficiency and competing with Na<sup>+</sup>. However, Ni at concentrations of 20 and 40 mg kg<sup>−1</sup> had toxic effects on the plants, leading to a decrease in plant growth and physiological processes. Moreover, a negative relationship was observed between Ni uptake and Na<sup>+</sup> uptake, while a positive relationship was observed between Ni and K<sup>+</sup> uptake. Overall, this study provides valuable insights into the interaction between salinity, heavy metal toxicity, and tomato plant physiology, contributing to the development of sustainable agricultural practices. This study provides novel insights into the interactive effects of NaCl and Ni toxicity on the physiology of <i>Solanum lycopersicum</i> L. and fruit quality, emphasizing the significant threat posed by the combination of salinity and heavy metal toxicity. The findings demonstrate the superiority of a tolerant genotype and elucidate the contrasting effects of different concentrations of Ni on plant growth and nutrient uptake, shedding light on potential strategies for mitigating the adverse impacts of salinity and heavy metal toxicity in tomato cultivation. An interplay of salinity and Ni stress tomato genotypes was investigated.The tolerant genotypes showed better growth, yield, fruit quality, and antioxidant enzymes activities.An antagonistic between Ni and Na and synergistic relationship between Ni and K uptake was observed. An interplay of salinity and Ni stress tomato genotypes was investigated. The tolerant genotypes showed better growth, yield, fruit quality, and antioxidant enzymes activities. An antagonistic between Ni and Na and synergistic relationship between Ni and K uptake was observed.