Effect of nano silicium doses and application methods on maintaningsal tolerance in lettuca

In the study investigating the effectiveness of Nano-Si applications to increase salt tolerance in lettuce, Caipira (Shakira) lettuce cultivar (Batavia type) was used as material. For stress plants, 100 mM NaCl salt dose was applied one day after transplanting, and for Nano-Si applications, 0, 0.5, 1, 2 and 3 mM doses were applied once a week with foliar spraying and root irrigation with two different methods. Plants harvested at the end of the stress were analyzed for green parts fresh and dry weights, plant height, circumference and crown width, root collar diameter, leaf area, total yield, leaf water content (RWC), green parts Na+ Cl- K+, and Ca+2 content, malondialdehyde (MDA), total chlorophyll and carotenoid content. Salt stress caused a decrease in plant growth parameters, total yield and WOSI, K+1, Ca+2, total chlorophyll and carotenoid content, while Na+ and Cl- ion concentration and MDA content increased. On the other hand, Nano-Si treatments together with salt stress improved 37-286% in wet and dry weight; 5-46% in plant height and root diameter; 6-91% in plant circumference and crown width; 100%-271% in leaf area; 74-219% in total yield; 16-56% in RWC values; 24-57% in K+ content; 56-164% in Ca+2 content; and 15-126% in photosynthetic pigments compared to salt stress. In addition, Na ion uptake was limited by 13-47% and Cl- ion uptake by 1-40%, while the increase in MDA content was limited by 5-55%. As a result of the study, it was determined that Nano-Si applications ameliorated the damage caused by salt stress at varying rates and were effective in increasing tolerance, and 0,50 mM and 1,00 mM Nano-Si foliar applications stood out among the treatments in terms of this positive effect. 2023, 49 pages Keywords: Lactuca sativa, MDA, Silicon, Sodium chloride, Salt stress