Ameliorating Effects of Proline Application in Solanum lycopersicum L under Salt Stress

Salt stress is one of the abiotic stresses which limit the growth and development of crop plants. Salt stress affects the crops differently at different developmental stages, posing a significant challenge for crop yield. In the present investigation, we presented the beneficial effects of the application of exogenous proline on selected five Solanum lycopersicum germplasm under salt stress condition. Arka Rakshak, YVU-1, YVU-2, S-22 and PKM-OP tomato germplasm were exposed to 100 mM salt stress. Fresh weight, Dry weight, Superoxide dismutase (SOD), Guailcol peroxidase (GPX) and Catalase activity (CAT) variables were assessed in the laboratory conditions by applying 10 mM proline to 100 mM salt stress tomato germplasm. The evaluated germplasm for salt tolerance exhibited a wide range of salt stress responses, and exogenous proline application significantly reduced the salt stress effects. The Proline application improved the fresh weight and dry weight phenotypic variables in comparison to respective plants under salt stress. These positive effects may be mainly driven by the better nutrient acquisition by alleviating the damage caused by salt stress by improving antioxidant activities. Superoxide dismutase (SOD), Guailcol peroxidase (GPX) and Catalase activity (CAT) variables were increased under salt stress, while a significant decrease of these variables was observed following after Proline application. In conclusion, exogenous application of proline, a potential external osmotic protective agent, is one method for minimizing the deleterious effects of salt stress in Solanum lycopersicum.