Global food demand and insecurity are intensifying due to rapid population growth, the loss of arable land, climate change, and pollution. Among the critical challenges in global agriculture is soil salinization, in which high NaCl concentrations can severely inhibit germination and crop establishment. Cakile maritima, a halophyte from the Brassica genus, can tolerate salinity levels up to 400 mM NaCl, far exceeding the tolerance of most crops, making it a promising model for studying salt stress resistance. This study investigates the effects of seed halopriming as an effective strategy to enhance salt tolerance in C. maritima. The research evaluates germination rates, seedling establishment, mineral status, oxidative stress markers, and genetic responses under increasing NaCl concentrations. Halopriming with NaCl pre-activates the plant’s antioxidant defence mechanisms and upregulates stress-responsive genes, improving the plant’s resilience to saline conditions. While salinity caused significant physiological challenges, primed seeds demonstrated superior performance compared to non-primed controls, with enhanced germination and an improved tolerance to oxidative stress. These findings underscore the potential of halopriming as a cost-effective and sustainable technique to improve crop performance in saline environments. This study highlights the importance of advancing seed priming technologies for developing resilient crops to address global food security challenges in the face of climate change.

Physiological responses of different interspecific Pyrus hybrids and an open pollinated Pyrus communis ‘Williams’ (Pcw) grown under in vitro culture conditions simulating lime induced chlorosis were studied. The hybrids were derived from crosses between the ‘Pyriam’ pear rootstock and four Pyrus species of the Mediterranean region, namely P. amygdaliformis Vill. (Pa), P. amygdaliformis persica Bornme. (Pap), P. communis cordata (Desv.) Hook. (Pcc), and P. elaeagrifolia Pall (Pe), all known for their higher field tolerance to iron-chlorosis than P. communis. Twenty hybrids and one open pollinated Pcw were micropropagated, and plantlets were in vitro characterized for their physiological responses to iron-deficiency conditions. Rooted plantlets were transferred to a culture medium with 2 µM Fe³⁺ DTPA and 10 or 20 mM NaHCO₃. These physiological responses were scored at 1, 3, 7, and 28 days from the start of the in vitro assay. Leaf total chlorophyll content, the capacity of roots to acidify the medium, reduced iron, and exudates of phenolic acids and organic acids were analyzed in each media and time sample. Leaf chlorophyll levels for the clones derived from Pcc were the highest, especially under the highest bicarbonate concentration, followed by those derived from Pap and Pa. The higher chlorophyll content of Pcc clones were related with their higher capacity to acidify the media but not with their iron reduction capacity at the root level. On the other hand, hybrid clones derived from Pe showed a higher Fe³⁺ reduction ability than clones from all the other species during the whole assay but only when the bicarbonate concentration was lower. The exudation of phenolic acids by the roots was higher in Pcw than in the other species, and this response might explain why the total chlorophyll levels in Pcw clones are similar to those of Pe and Pa ones. These results with Pyrus spp. bring more evidence in support of the idea that iron reduction capacity at the root level is not directly related with a higher tolerance to iron deficiency caused by the high pH of calcareous soils. Instead, the ability to acidify the rhizosphere is the trait of choice for the selection of the pear hybrid clones better adapted to lime induced chlorosis. In addition, the in vitro assay to select the Pyrus clones for tolerance to iron chlorosis could be shortened to one week of culture in 10 mM NaHCO₃, measuring the leaf chlorophyll level, acidification of the culture medium, and exudation of phenolic acids as the physiological responses to predict tolerance to lime-induced chlorosis.