Use of organic acids in micropropagation helps the production of salinity tolerant strawberry

This study investigated the in vitro use of humic and fulvic acids to enhance salt stress tolerance in strawberry plants. The concentration of 37.5 mM NaCl induced stress in the plants, resulting in reduced growth. An enhancement in the antioxidant system was observed at higher concentrations of humic acid (15 mg L −1 ), with a similar pattern for fulvic acid, indicating an increase in these enzymes at higher concentrations (15 mg L −1 ) and a decrease at lower concentrations (5 mg L −1 ). Concentrations of 5 mg L −1 and 15 mg L −1 of humic acid led to an increase in chlorophyll a , while fulvic acid treatments showed an increase in chlorophyll b and total chlorophyll at higher concentrations (15 mg L −1 ). Regarding macronutrients and micronutrients, groups treated with humic and fulvic acids exhibited significant differences, with higher accumulations in control groups. In summary, humic and fulvic acids incorporated in vitro demonstrated the potential to induce the development of salt-tolerant strawberry plants, promoting reinforcement in the defense system, chlorophyll accumulation, and nutrient absorption. These findings suggest a promising approach to address the challenges of salt stress in strawberry plants. Key Message The use of humic and fulvic acids increased the activity of the plant defense system in response to NaCl. Therefore, plants developed in vitro in the presence of acids respond to abiotic stress more quickly. Graphical abstract