Mitigation of salinity stress in tomato using green-synthesized silver nanoparticles derived from Teucrium stocksianum

Salinity is a critical stress that severely limits tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) seed germination and early seedling growth. Green-synthesized silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) have emerged as a promising strategy to enhance plant tolerance to such abiotic stresses by modulating physiological and biochemical processes. In this study, a factorial experiment in a completely randomized design was conducted to evaluate the effects of green-synthesized AgNPs derived from Teucrium stocksianum at 0, 20, 40, and 60 ppm on tomato germination and early seedling growth under different salinity levels (0, 50, 100, and 150 mM NaCl). AgNPs were characterized using FESEM, FTIR, and XRD, confirming their crystalline structure and successful plant-mediated synthesis. Antioxidant activity measured via DPPH and ABTS assays increased with concentration, reaching 50-100% inhibition. At 150 mM NaCl, AgNPs at 20 ppm enhanced seed germination by 93.33%, accelerated germination rate, reduced mean germination time, and significantly increased stem length (85.2%), root length (125%), and seedling biomass compared to the control .These findings demonstrate that green-synthesized AgNPs provide a novel, environmentally friendly approach to mitigate salinity stress and enhance germination and early seedling growth of tomato under controlled conditions.