## 3 Results and Discussion
### Leaf Nutrient Composition
\begin{table}
\begin{tabular}{c c c c c c c c} \hline \hline \multirow{2}{*}{**Treatment**} & \multicolumn{6}{c}{**Mineral Composition (g kg\({}^{-1}\) dw)**} & \multicolumn{2}{c}{**Nitrate**} \\ \cline{2-9}  & & **Na** & **K** & **Ca** & **Mg** & **Cl** & **P** & **(mg kg\({}^{-1}\)fw)** \\ \hline \hline ECO & BC & 5.14 \(\pm\) 0.31 e & 60.06 \(\pm\) 2.31 a & 22.50 \(\pm\) 0.98 bc & 5.09 \(\pm\) 0.13 a & 25.75 \(\pm\) 1.57 de & 2.66 \(\pm\) 0.11 ab & 3791.5 \(\pm\) 391.0 de \\  & BA & 4.81 \(\pm\) 0.18 e & 57.16 \(\pm\) 1.50 ab & 22.00 \(\pm\) 0.69 e-e & 4.79 \(\pm\) 0.12 ab & 20.47 \(\pm\) 1.00 ef & 2.81 \(\pm\) 0.08 a & 5403.9 \(\pm\) 320.2 a \\  & BT & 4.72 \(\pm\) 0.23 e & 53.66 \(\pm\) 1.44 bc & 24.50 \(\pm\) 0.96 a & 5.12 \(\pm\) 0.16 a & 19.20 \(\pm\) 0.63 f & 2.68 \(\pm\) 0.09 ab & 5799.0 \(\pm\) 365.8 a \\ EC2 & BC & 10.39 \(\pm\) 0.64 d & 55.41 \(\pm\) 1.58 a-c & 22.24 \(\pm\) 0.70 b-d & 4.63 \(\pm\) 0.10 b & 37.57 \(\pm\) 2.41 c & 2.60 \(\pm\) 0.08 ac & 3286.7 \(\pm\) 279.5 f \\  & BA & 8.45 \(\pm\) 0.55 d & 54.35 \(\pm\) 2.63 a-c & 24.07 \(\pm\) 0.51 ab & 4.86 \(\pm\) 0.12 ab & 28.23 \(\pm\) 1.52 d & 2.49 \(\pm\) 0.07 b-d & 4569.8 \(\pm\) 245.8 bc \\  & BT & 9.43 \(\pm\) 0.54 d & 5.62 \(\pm\) 1.32 a-c & 22.90 \(\pm\) 0.56 e-e & 5.09 \(\pm\) 0.08 a & 29.83 \(\pm\) 1.69 d & 2.69 \(\pm\) 0.09 ab & 8410.2 \(\pm\) 210.0 b \\ EC4 & BC & 14.83 \(\pm\) 1.26 ab & 52.00 \(\pm\) 1.07 bc & 21.08 \(\pm\) 0.99 c-f & 4.86 \(\pm\) 0.09 ab & 50.81 \(\pm\) 3.85 a & 2.60 \(\pm\) 0.07 a-c & 2746.0 \(\pm\) 396.1 g \\  & BA & 10.88 \(\pm\) 0.82 cd & 55.46 \(\pm\) 1.38 a-c & 19.91 \(\pm\) 0.65 f & 4.62 \(\pm\) 0.09 b & 37.05 \(\pm\) 2.03 c & 2.69 \(\pm\) 0.08 ab & 4230.9 \(\pm\) 228.1 cd \\  & BT & 14.17 \(\pm\) 1.11 ab & 53.89 \(\pm\) 2.00 bc & 20.53 \(\pm\) 0.56 d-f & 4.85 \(\pm\) 0.10 ab & 44.84 \(\pm\) 2.33 b & 2.81 \(\pm\) 0.10 a & 3962.6 \(\pm\) 227.6 d \\ EC6 & BC & 13.86 \(\pm\) 1.02 bc & 51.22 \(\pm\) 1.40 bc & 19.88 \(\pm\) 0.86 f & 4.66 \(\pm\) 0.11 b & 49.91 \(\pm\) 2.91 ab & 2.19 \(\pm\) 0.08 d & 4222.4 \(\pm\) 453.5 g \\  & BA & 17.06 \(\pm\) 1.29 a & 52.07 \(\pm\) 1.82 bc & 19.99 \(\pm\) 0.77 f & 4.76 \(\pm\) 0.09 ab & 50.34 \(\pm\) 3.16 ab & 2.42 \(\pm\) 0.8 b-b & 3471.0 \(\pm\) 285.5 ef \\  & BT & 15.95 \(\pm\) 1.27 ab & 50.55 \(\pm\) 1.38 c & 20.18 \(\pm\) 0.78 ef & 4.59 \(\pm\) 0.11 b & 49.14 \(\pm\) 2.98 ab & 2.32 \(\pm\) 0.07 cd & 3740.4 \(\pm\) 254.5 d-f \\ \hline \hline \end{tabular} †: Different letters within each column indicate significant differences according to [PERSON]’s honestly significant difference (HSD) test at \(\pm\) 0.05, EC0: tap water (0 ds m\({}^{-1}\)); EC2: 2.0 dS m\({}^{-1}\); EC4: 4.0 dS m\({}^{-1}\); EC6: 6.0 dS m\({}^{-1}\); BC: no biostimulant added; BA: plants treated with Auvym8; and BT: plants treated with Trainer®). All data are expressed as mean \(\pm\) SE (standard error), n = 3.  
\end{table} 
Table 5: Effect of salinity and biostimulant application on minerals (Na, K, Ca, Mg, Cl, and P) and nitrate content in _Dipidaxis tentiofia_ leaves, regardless of harvesting time. centration decreased when the salt concentration incremented, but only EC6 was different from all of the other saline treatments; moreover, its concentration significantly decreased over the harvest periods (Table 6). Nitrate content recorded fluctuating trends, with a varied effect being observed at the various salinity levels and harvesting times, although a decreasing trend at the late harvesting times (harvests IV to VI) was noticed. Similar results to our study have been reported by [PERSON] et al. (2016), who studied the effect of a biostimulant product rich in free amino acids on lettuce crop performance and suggested an increase in nitrogen content in treated plants, regardless of the irrigation regime. On the other hand, considering that salinity stress is associated with the decreased water availability and increased osmotic potential of the nutrient solution, nitrate accumulation in plants subjected to salinity stress indicates its osmoregulatory activity ([PERSON], 2014).