Vermicompost leachate reduces some negative effects of salt stress in pomegranate

Purpose: Growth and productivity of plant crops are negatively affected by salt stress. Vermicompost leachate (VCL) has beneficial effects on plant growth in several different ways. This experiment was conducted to investigate the potential of VCL for raising the tolerance of pomegranate against salinity. Methods: A pot experiment was organized to analyze some physiological attributes and antioxidant activities of two Iranian pomegranate cultivars under different concentrations of NaCl with or without VCL. Results: Salinity negatively affected the growth properties of pomegranate, while foliar spray of VCL-induced salt tolerance by reducing the accumulation of Na⁺ in the seedlings. Leaf area and shoot and root fresh and dry weight of VCL-treated pomegranate plants showed a significant increase regardless of whether the seedling growth was under non-saline or saline conditions. Chlorophyll loss and reduced photosynthesis efficiency caused by salinity were also ameliorated using VCL. Foliar application of VCL also improved the activity of antioxidant enzymes and caused a reduction in oxidative stress and electrolyte leakage. Conclusions: These results suggested that VCL could alleviate the damage caused by salt stress in pomegranate by limiting the agglomeration of Na⁺ and amending the activities of antioxidant enzymes by which the efficiency of plant increases.