Alleviation of soil and irrigation water salinity stress in early sweet grape (Vitis vinifera L.) seedlings through the application of selective inducers

This study investigated the effects of various anti-salinity compounds on Early Sweet grape seedlings grown under salinity conditions during the 2021 and 2022 seasons. Seedlings were cultivated in soil with 2000 ppm salinity and irrigated with saline water at 1700 ppm. Six compounds (arginine, mannitol, citric acid, salicylic acid, chitosan, and potassium silicate) were applied at 100 ppm concentration through foliar sprays at monthly intervals from March to August. Results demonstrated that all tested compounds significantly improved growth parameters, root characteristics, and nutrient uptake (N, P, K, and Ca) while reducing Na and Cl uptake compared to untreated seedlings under salinity stress. The effectiveness of the compounds in mitigating salinity stress, in descending order, was chitosan > salicylic acid > potassium silicate > mannitol > arginine > citric acid. These findings suggest that foliar application of anti-salinity compounds, particularly chitosan and salicylic acid at 100 ppm, can effectively alleviate the adverse effects of salinity on Early Sweet grape seedlings. The study recommends six monthly applications of these compounds from March to August to enhance the growth and development of grape seedlings under saline conditions.