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Updated: Aug 14, 2026
08:27
Analysis of Effect of Compound Salt Stress on Seed Germination and Salt Tolerance Analysis of Pepper (Capsicum annuum L.)
Published on: November 30, 2022
Calcium Lactate Amendment Improves Saline Soil Properties and Enhances Pepper Resistance Under Short-Term
Yuquan Lin1, Shuwen Hu1,2
1College of Resources and Environment Sciences, China Agricultural University, No. 2 Yuanmingyuan West Road, Beijing 100193, China.
Plants (Basel, Switzerland)
|August 13, 2026
Summary
Calcium lactate amendment improves saline soil properties and enhances pepper plants' tolerance to short-term waterlogging. This leads to better soil nutrients, increased antioxidant activity, and improved pepper yield and fruit quality.
Area of Science:
- Agricultural Science
- Soil Science
- Plant Physiology
Background:
- Saline soils with short-term waterlogging impede sustainable vegetable production by degrading soil structure, increasing salt accumulation, and causing plant oxidative damage.
- Calcium-based amendments are recognized for their potential to improve soil conditions and bolster plant stress resilience.
- The specific impact of calcium lactate on saline soil remediation and pepper plant responses to waterlogging requires further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the efficacy of calcium lactate as an amendment for improving saline soils under short-term waterlogging conditions.
- To assess the impact of calcium lactate on the physicochemical properties, nutrient availability, and antioxidant physiology of pepper plants.
- To determine the effects of calcium lactate on pepper fruit yield and quality under waterlogged saline conditions.
Main Methods:
- Field experiment applying varying rates of calcium lactate to saline pepper croplands subjected to waterlogging.
- Analysis of soil physicochemical properties and nutrient availability (available phosphorus and potassium).
- Measurement of plant physiological responses, including antioxidant enzyme activities (superoxide dismutase, peroxidase, catalase), malondialdehyde accumulation, and proline content.
Main Results:
- Calcium lactate significantly improved soil physicochemical properties and increased available phosphorus (565-855%) and potassium (1.60-35.54%) content.
- Amended plants exhibited enhanced antioxidant enzyme activities and increased proline content (up to 54.62%), while malondialdehyde accumulation decreased by up to 39%.
- Higher calcium lactate application rates demonstrated more pronounced ameliorative effects, leading to improved pepper yield and fruit quality.
Conclusions:
- Calcium lactate effectively ameliorates saline soil conditions and mitigates the negative impacts of short-term waterlogging on pepper plants.
- The application of calcium lactate enhances plant physiological adaptation through improved soil conditions and robust antioxidant defense mechanisms.
- Calcium lactate shows significant potential for promoting sustainable pepper production in waterlogged saline environments, with higher doses yielding better results.
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