Mitigation strategy of saline stress in Fragaria vesca using natural and synthetic brassinosteroids as biostimulants

Bassinosteroids (BRs) can induce plant defence responses and promote plant growth. In this work, we evaluated the effect of a natural (EP24) and a synthetic (BB16) brassinosteroid on strawberry (Fragaria vesca) plants exposed to saline stress. Treated plants showed higher shoot dry weight and root growth compared to untreated control plants. In BR-treated plants, crown diameters increased 66% and 40%, leaf area 148% and 112%, relative water content in leaves 84% and 61%, and SPAD values 24% and 26%, in response to BB16 and EP24, respectively. A marked stomatal closure, increased leaflet lignification, and a decrease in cortex thickness, root diameter and stele radius were also observed in treated plants. Treatments also reduces stress-induced damage, as plants showed a 34% decrease in malondialdehyde content and a lower proline content compared to control plants. A 22% and 15% increase in ascorbate peroxidase and total phenolic compound activities was observed in response to BB16, and a 24% increase in total flavonoid compound in response to both BRs, under stress conditions. These results allow us to propose the use of BRs as an environmentally safe crop management strategy to overcome salinity situations that severely affect crop yield.