Application of 2 commercial biostimulants to manage Salinity Stress and fertilization on bell pepper’s physiology (cv. Yolo Wonder)

Abstract

Bell pepper is an important horticulture crop that is of huge interest worldwide, leading it to the 4 places of the most cultivated horticulture crop. This crop is cultivated mostly in greenhouses that are concentrate in coastal areas. Due to climate change, the rising sea level leads to seawater intrusion in ground water aquifers; thus, the soils and irrigation water are getting more saline. To reduce the impact of climate change fertilization is a crucial factor that must be controlled with more ecofriendly approaches. Plant biostimulants could be a useful tool to help the plant overcome saline and enhance nutrients uptake by the plants. A microbial biostimulant and a Seaweed extract was tested in the present research. In our study, to commercial biostimulants are tested to soilless cultivation of bell pepper plants (CV. Yolo Wonder) are treated with saline water (EC: 10dS/cm) and at lower fertilization levels to evaluate their performance and mechanism of action. The findings reveal that the plants respond differently to salinity in each biostimulant. Finally, the fertilization treatment did not differ statistically significantly from the control.