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Abstract

Salinity is among the main factors that restrict the cultivation of chrysanthemum, because the excess of NaCl influences the dynamics of water, nutrient uptake, photosynthesis and oxidative balance, which compromises the growth of the plant and the quality of the flowers. The present study aimed to explore if exogenous trehalose could mitigate the detrimental effects of salinity on chrysanthemum (Chrysanthemum indicum L.) under greenhouse conditions. Plants were treated with four different concentrations of NaCl (0, 50, 100, and 150 mM) and four different concentrations of trehalose (0, 5, 10, and 20 mM). The parameters quantified were vegetative growth, flowering, relative water content (RWC), photosynthetic pigments, osmolytes, oxidative stress markers, antioxidant enzymes and mineral accumulation. Higher salinity levels decreased plant height, shoot and root weight, chlorophyll content, relative water content, flower size and number of flowers, and delayed flowering. Salinity increased proline, soluble sugars, H₂O₂ and malondialdehyde (MDA) and enhanced activities of SOD, CAT and APX. Salinity induced a significant increase in the accumulation of sodium ion (Na+) while the concentration of potassium ion (K+) and K+/Na+ ratio decreased. These responses were greatly reduced by trehalose, with 10 mM generally being the most effective dose. Addition of 10 mM trehalose at 100 and 150 mM NaCl enhanced biomass, chlorophyll content, relative water content and flowering efficacy, while decreasing H2O2 and MDA accumulation, increasing antioxidant activity, reducing Na+ levels and partially restoring K+ homeostasis. These results suggest that trehalose has a role in the coordination of osmotic adjustment, oxidative stress protection and ionic homeostasis. To our knowledge, this is the first report supporting the potential use of exogenous trehalose as a biostimulant to improve chrysanthemum growth under saline irrigation

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