Sorbitol and lithovit-guano25 mitigates the adverse effects of salinity on eggplant grown in pot experiment

This trial aimed to study the separate effects of nano-fertilizers and sugar alcohols inmitigating salt-stress on eggplant (Solanum melongena L) crop. For this purpose, two differentconcentrations of lithovit®-guano25 (A1:0.5 g L-1and A2:1 g L-1) and sorbitol (B1:5 g L-1andB2:10 g L-1) were sprayed on eggplant irrigated by three NaCl solutions (EC1:1.5 dS m-1,EC2:3 dS m-1and EC3 6 dS m-1). Control plants were salt-stressed without any product. Resultsrevealed an inhibitory effect of increasing in salt-stress on vegetative traits (plant height, leafnumber, weights of plant parts and root mass fraction), reproductive traits (fruit number, fruitweight, yield plant-1, fruit diameter) and photosynthetic pigments. Control plants at EC6 had thehighest cell electrolyte leakage (51.26%). Plant height and fruit number were maximized by A1at all salinity levels. Additionally, A2 increased fruit weight by 89.98g, 85g and 92.3g comparedto control respectively at 1.5, 3 and 6 dS m-1. Yield plant-1increased by this treatment at all EClevels. At 3 and 6 dS m-1, A2-treated plants had the highest chlorophyll a (respectively 1.67 and1.4mg g-1fresh weight), total chlorophyll (respectively 2.38 and 1.9mg g-1fresh weight) andcarotenoids (respectively 193 and 172µg g-1fresh weight) contents. A2-treated plants had thelowest cell electrolyte leakage at 1.5 dS m-1 (14.27%), 3 dS m-1(25.31%) and 6 dS m-1 (37.78%).Treating plants with B1 and B2 maximized respectively fruit diameter at 1.5 dS m -1and watercontent in all plant parts at 3 dS m-1. Both products helped plants reducing the adverse effectscaused by salinity.