The effect of Atonik biostimulant on greenhouse pepper under salinity stress

Salinity is a significant abiotic stressor that adversely affects crop production, particularly in arid and semi-arid regions. This study investigates the potential of Atonik, an environmentally friendly biostimulant, to enhance plant resilience and bolster defenses against salt stress in two varieties of pepper: red and green.

The results demonstrated that salinity stress generally reduced growth traits and physiological parameters, such as chlorophyll fluorescence, and phenol and flavonoid content, compared to non-saline conditions. However, treatment with 100 mg L^- 1 Atonik (At100) was able to increase chlorophyll fluorescence by 79% and total phenol content by 56% compared to At0 treatment under 100 mM NaCl (S100) conditions. Among the tested varieties, the green variety exhibited greater resistance to stress, evidenced by reduced electrolyte leakage and enhanced levels of phenolic compounds and flavonoids. Notably, the highest concentrations of phenolic compounds, specifically p-coumaric and syringic acids, as well as flavonoids such as quercetin and luteolin, were observed under the S100 with the application of At100 in green pepper.

Atonik significantly improved growth, physiological, and biochemical traits in both pepper varieties under salt stress. The combination of 100 mM NaCl and 100 mg L^- 1 Atonik (S100 with At100) emerged as the most effective treatment, enhancing the plants' overall resilience and biochemical profiles. While these findings highlight Atonik's potential as a valuable tool for mitigating salinity effects on pepper plants, future research should investigate the underlying molecular mechanisms, conduct multi-season trials, and evaluate its economic viability to fully understand its role in economic agriculture.