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Bacterial-mediated mitigation of salinity tolerance in lettuce through coordinated physiological, antioxidant, and structural adaptations
Abstract
Salinity stress has a drastic effect on the productivity of vegetables; the current study aimed to explore the beneficial role of soil-applied Bacillus strains (Bacillus megaterium and Bacillus subtilis) to alleviate NaCl-induced stress in lettuce. Different salinity levels (0, 50, 100, and 150 mM NaCl) were applied to lettuce plants. Salinity stress reduced plant height (24-17 cm), leaf number (18-13), total plant fresh weight (42-30 g), leaf area (360-250 cm²), and root length (19-13 cm), alongside marked declines in chlorophyll contents (1.30-1.40 mg g⁻¹). Salinity stress also intensified oxidative stress, as indicated by elevated malondialdehyde (MDA) and hydrogen peroxide levels (H2O2). Soil application of Bacillus strains significantly mitigated the oxidative stress in plants. The combined application of B. megaterium and B. subtilis improved plant height, fresh biomass, restored photosynthetic pigments, reduced MDA and H2O2, and enhanced antioxidant enzyme activities and vascular development under salinity. Hence, Microbial Synergy is an effective approach to mitigate salt toxicity in lettuce
