Salinity and alkalinity are two of the main causes for productivity losses in agriculture. Quinoa represents a better alternative for global food products such as rice and wheat flour due to its high nutritional value and abiotic stress tolerance. Three cultivars of quinoa seeds (Titicaca, Puno and Vikinga) originating from Denmark were used in the experiments. The seeds were germinated under the action of three different salts (NaCl, Na₂SO₄, Na₂CO₃) at 0–300 mM for five days and the germination rate was calculated. Biometric measurements (radicle and hypocotyls lengths) andbiochemical determinations (proline) were performed in order to quantify the tolerance and the effects of salt and alkali stresses on the three quinoa cultivars. The germination rates showed that all cultivars were affected by the presence of salts, especially at 300 mM. The most sensitive cultivar to salts was Titicaca cultivar which evinced the lowest germination rate, regardless of the salt and the concentration used. On the other hand, Puno and Vikinga cultivars showed the best tolerance to the saline and alkaline stresses. Among the salts used, Na₂CO₃ had the most detrimental effects on the germination of quinoa seeds inhibiting the germination by ~50% starting with 50 mM. More affected was the growth of hypocotyls in the presence of this salt, being completely inhibited for the seeds of the Puno and Titicaca cultivars. Vikinga cultivar was the only one able to grow hypocotyls at 50 and 100 mM Na₂CO₃. Also, this cultivar had a high adaptability to NaCl stress when significant differences were observed for the germination rates at 200 and 300 mM as compared to 0 mM NaCl, due to the proline production whose content was significantly greater than that of the untreated seeds. In conclusion, the tolerance of the three quinoa cultivars to saline and alkali stress varied with the salt type, salt concentration and tested cultivar, with the Vikinga and Puno cultivars showing the best potential for growing under saline conditions.

Wheat is an important cereal around the world and is a nutrient source in people’s diets. In this work, we focused on the potential of some biostimulators on four wheat varieties - Dropia, Glosa, Gruia, and Pegasus, with a focus on the effects during the first developing stages from germination to the appearance of the second leaf. Our results indicated that germination and some biochemical traits can be strongly influenced by biostimulants, with the effects also depending on the genetic background of the variety. Some treatments proved beneficial for germination, and also growth as found by the biometric measurements, while others inhibited both traits. Some of the biostimulants increased the concentration of the photosynthetic compounds, thus being recommended for use during all stages of wheat development. Dropia, Glosa, and Gruia reacted positively in most tests, their germination and plant and root development were stimulated by Super fifty, Atonik, Asfac, and Cropmax. Thus, we recommend the use of these biostimulants in the first development stages. The concentrations of photosynthetic pigments increased after treatment with Asfac, Atonik, and Cropmax. The treatment showing the most inhibitory effects was Lebosol.

Climate factors strongly impact the growth of grapes and their flavonoid composition, especially due to heat and drought stress. Four varieties—Gelu, Moldova, Purpuriu, and Coarna Neagra—from a Copou vineyard were analyzed to assess the impact of climate change on the anthocyanin concentration in grapes and total chlorophyll content of the leaves, and find possible correlations between these parameters during the two studied years, such as to raise producer awareness regarding the climate impact on table grape vine growth. Moldova and Purpuriu show adaptation to a slight temperature increase above the normal average and also to a water deficit, with increased concentrations of anthocyanins of up to three times. The Moldova variety accumulated low amounts of chlorophyll pigments in most analyzed development phases, indicating a negative correlation between these pigments. Coarna neagra exhibited an increase of the foliar pigments, a variety that proved to be less valuable from the point of view of anthocyanin content. Positive correlations were found between the anthocyanin and chlorophyll concentrations in the case of Gelu, Moldova, and Coarna neagra cultivars during the latter phase of the fruit development, whereas the water deficit in the second year induced negative correlations during fruit development and at the time of harvest for all studied varieties except Moldova.

Areas with saline soils are in continuous expansion, and in this context, it is very important to find solutions that help plants adapt more easily to these stress conditions, and to identify the main physiological and biochemical mechanisms involved in determining a good adaptability of plants. Biostimulants could be a plausible solution. This study was conducted in 2021 at the IULS (Iasi University of Life Sciences) in Romania, under greenhouse conditions and the biological material consisted of four tomato varieties: Buzau, Elisabeta, Bacovia, and Lillagro. For the treatments, we used natrium chloride (NaCl) 120 mM and an Atonik biostimulant. Three treatments were applied at intervals of 14 days. The Atonik biostimulant was applied by foliar spray, and the saline solution was applied to the root system. We have gathered some observations on the growth and fruiting character of the tomato plants studied: the height of the stems, the number of flowers in the inflorescence, the number of fruits, and the weight of fruits. Chlorophyll and carotenoid pigments as well as proline amino acid from leaves were also measured. Observations were made 14 days after the application of each treatment. Quantitative determinations were made 14 days after the application of the third treatment. The findings of this study made it clear that the Atonik biostimulant presented a positive effect on the physiological processes observed in tomato plants grown under salt stress conditions.

The global water crisis and the expansion of saline soils present significant challenges to agricultural sustainability. To address these issues, innovative solutions are needed to harness seawater and adapt plants to high-salinity conditions. Biostimulants represent an innovative strategy for mitigating the adverse effects of salinity on crops. This study examined the impact of two biostimulants, Algevit (based on marine algae) and Razormin (based on plant extracts), on the salinity tolerance of two Romanian tomato varieties, Buzau 4 and Buzau 22. The research was conducted under greenhouse conditions and assessed parameters such as plant height, flower and fruit counts, photosynthetic fluorescence, chlorophyll content, stomatal conductance, and proline concentration. The results showed that Algevit had a more significant impact compared to Razormin, enhancing plant growth, maintaining higher chlorophyll levels (in the Algevit variants, values ranged from 27.43 to 44.99 SPAD units, while in the Razormin variants, they ranged from 24.23 to 41.63 SPAD units), and improving photosynthetic efficiency. Both tomato varieties responded positively to the treatments, with Buzau 4 demonstrating greater salinity tolerance, especially when treated with Algevit. These findings suggest that integrating biostimulants into crop management can effectively reduce the negative effects of salinity and support sustainable agriculture in salt-affected regions. The study highlights the importance of applying biostimulants in managing soil salinity and freshwater scarcity in the context of climate change.

Momordica charantia (bitter cucumber) is a tropical and subtropical plant with a long history of use in traditional medicine. Salinity is a major problem that limits plant growth and biomass production. The aim of this work was to determine the salinity tolerance of bitter cucumber, through the spectral analyses of some metabolites involved in their response to abiotic stress factors. To carry out the experiment, two varieties of bitter cucumber and three experimental lines were subjected to saline stress by applying treatments with saline solutions in different concentrations (control—0 mM NaCl; V1—100 mM NaCl; and V2—200 mM NaCl). After applying the treatments, analyses were carried out on the amount of free proline (Pro), ascorbic acid, and aromatic amino acids. For proline and ascorbic acid, the tendency was for their concentration to decrease in the variants treated with saline solutions" with "the tendency was for their absorbance to decrease in the variants treated with saline solutions. The differences between the controls and the treated variants, as well as between the studied genotypes, highlight their capacity for resistance and adaptation to saline stress.