## 1 Introduction
Furthermore, the use of zeolite is a different approach to manage degraded soils. Soil amendments are generally used to improve conditions for plant growth [33]. Zeolites are hydrated aluminosilicates that are distinguished for their infinite three-dimensional structure of silicon tetraoxide (SiO\({}_{4}\)) and aluminum tetraoxide (AlO\({}_{4}\)) [10], their high ability to lose and gain water [34], and high cation-exchange capacity (CEC) [35]. Zeolites are considered to improve many soil physicochemical properties. They increase soil infiltration rate, saturated hydraulic conductivity, water holding capacity, aeration, and many others [36; 37; 38; 34; 39]. Various researchers reported that zeolite increases soil cation exchange capacity and water retention in the root zone [40; 41], decreases mineral components leaching [37; 42], and traps significant amounts of heavy metals and organic pollutants in contaminated soils [43; 44]. Its use with fertilizers can help buffer soil pH levels, thus reducing the need for lime application [45; 46]. Zeolites' action as slow-release fertilizers are reported as well [34]. Unlike other soil amendments (e.g., lime), zeolite does not break down over time but remains in the soil to improve nutrient retention. Therefore, its addition to soil significantly reduces water and fertilizer costs by retaining beneficial nutrients in the root zone [36; 47]. In parallel, an alternative strategy to decrease the oxidative damage on plants is to use silicon (Si) fertilization, the principal component of ceramic powder, in plants subjected to environmental stresses [48]. Therefore, Si has been shown to be able to improve early growth and establishment of plants under stressful conditions through increasing antioxidant enzymes, photosynthetic capacity, and low transpiration coefficient [49; 50]. Currently, industrial agricultural practices are affecting the demotion of nodal ecological processes that maintain life on Earth, leading to climate change, loss of biosphere integrity, and destructive land system changes [51; 52; 53; 54]. On the contrary, recent research has shown that agroecological farming systems based on the application of ecological principles to the design and management of agricultural ecosystems are capable of meeting global food needs sustainably and efficiently [54], whereas it has been demonstrated that beneficial microorganisms contribute to productivity improvement maintaining an ecological balance, especially where they help host plants to survive in arid environments [55]. The objective of this study was to investigate (i) the contribution of zeolite and effective microorganisms to the growth of apple plants under normal conditions and (ii) the possibility of compensating for the negative effects of salt stress on the growth of apple plants when using zeolite, effective microorganisms (_Saccharomyces_ sp., photosynthetic and lactic acid bacteria), algal extract, and ceramic powder. The potential improvement of physiological and biochemical parameters of young plants exposed or not to salinity conditions by adding these inexpensive, abundant, and environmentally friendly materials as additives or substrates could be a significant benefit derived from the present study.