Mitigating Salt Stress in Maize Seedlings: Comparative Effects of Lemon Juice and Citric Acid Application

Tuğba Sarıca; Süleyman Avcı

doi:10.18016/ksutarimdoga.vi.1695598

TR EN

Mısır Fidelerinde Tuz Stresinin Azaltılması: Limon Suyu ve Sitrik Asit Uygulamalarının Karşılaştırmalı Etkileri

Öz

Bu çalışma, iki ticari mısır (Zea mays L.) çeşidi olan DKC6050 ve P2088’in tuz stresine karşı morfolojik ve fizyolojik yanıtları üzerine dışsal limon suyu (LJ) ve sitrik asit (CA) uygulamalarının etkilerini araştırmıştır. Bitkiler, hem tuzsuz (Saf su) hem de tuzlu koşullarda (15 dS m⁻¹ NaCl) saf su (kontrol), CA (100 ppm) ve LJ (%5) ile yapraktan uygulamaya tabi tutulmuştur. Değerlendirilen parametreler; bitki boyu, yaş ağırlık, yaprak alanı, SPAD değeri, yaprak bağıl su içeriği (LRWC), elektrolit sızıntısı, stoma yoğunluğu ve iyonik göstergeler (Na⁺, K⁺ ve Na⁺/K⁺ oranı) olarak belirlenmiştir. Tuz stresi altında, CA ve LJ uygulamaları her iki çeşitte de bitki boyu ve yaş ağırlık üzerinde anlamlı bir artış sağlamamıştır. Bununla birlikte, DKC6050 çeşidinde CA uygulaması; yaprak alanı, SPAD değeri ve LRWC açısından anlamlı artışlar sağlamış, bu da fotosentetik kapasite ve su tutma potansiyelinde iyileşmeye işaret etmiştir. P2088 çeşidinde ise LJ uygulaması, yaprak alanı, stoma yoğunluğu ve SPAD değerlerini artırmış; elektrolit sızıntısını ve Na⁺ birikimini azaltmış ve Na⁺/K⁺ oranını iyileştirerek iyonik dengenin korunmasına katkı sağlamıştır. Elde edilen bulgular, CA ve LJ uygulamalarının tuz stresini hafifletme etkinliğinin genotipe bağlı olduğunu ortaya koymuştur. DKC6050 çeşidi, su durumu ve klorofil stabilitesinde daha olumlu tepkiler verirken; P2088 çeşidi, membran bütünlüğü ve iyonik dengeyi sürdürme açısından daha güçlü yanıtlar göstermiştir. Bu sonuçlar, mısırda tuzluluk stresinin yönetiminde organik asit temelli uygulamalarda genotipe özgü stratejilerin önemini vurgulamaktadır.

Anahtar Kelimeler

Mitigating Salt Stress in Maize Seedlings: Comparative Effects of Lemon Juice and Citric Acid Application

Abstract

This study examined the effects of exogenous lemon juice (LJ) and citric acid (CA) applications on the morphological and physiological responses of two commercial maize (Zea mays L.) cultivars, DKC6050 and P2088, under salt stress conditions. Plants were treated with distilled water (control), CA (100 ppm), and LJ (5%) as foliar applications under both non-saline (Distilled water) and saline conditions (15 dS m⁻¹ NaCl). Evaluated parameters included plant height, fresh weight, leaf area, SPAD value, leaf relative water content (LRWC), electrolyte leakage, stomatal density, and ionic indicators (Na⁺, K⁺, Na⁺/K⁺ ratio). Under salt stress, neither CA nor LJ significantly improved plant height or fresh weight in either cultivar. However, CA treatment in DKC6050 significantly enhanced leaf area, SPAD values, and LRWC, reflecting improved photosynthetic capacity and water retention. In P2088, LJ application led to increases in leaf area, stomatal density and SPAD values, reduced electrolyte leakage and Na⁺ accumulation, and improved the Na⁺/K⁺ ratio, indicating better ionic regulation. Overall, the results demonstrated that the effectiveness of CA and LJ in alleviating salt stress was genotype-dependent. DKC6050 showed greater improvements in water status and chlorophyll stability, while P2088 exhibited more robust responses in maintaining membrane integrity and ionic balance. These findings highlighted the significance of genotype-specific approaches when using organic acid-based treatments for managing salinity stress in maize.

Keywords

Supporting Institution

Eskişehir Osmangazi University

Project Number

FYL-2024-3105

Thanks

This study was conducted within the scope of Tuğba Sarıca’s Master’s Thesis and was financially supported by the Scientific Research Projects Coordination Unit of Eskişehir Osmangazi University (Project No: FYL-2024-3105).

References

Abdellatif, Y., & Ibrahim, M. (2018). Non-enzymatic anti-oxidants potential in enhancing Hibiscus sabdariffa L. tolerance to oxidative stress. International Journal of Botany, 14(1), 43–58. https://doi.org/ 10.3923/ijb.2018.43.58.
Ahmed, A., Talaat, I., & Khalid, K. (2017a). Citric acid affects Melissa officinalis L. essential oil under saline soil. Asian Journal of Crop Science, 9, 40–49.
Ahmed, S., Abdel-Razek, M., Hafez, W., & Aziz, A. E. (2017b). Environmental impacts of some organic extracts on sugar beet yield under saline-sodic soil conditions. Journal of Soil Science and Agricultural Engineering, 8, 821–827.
Ali, Z. M., & Fatma, F. (2011). The determinants of salinity tolerance in maize (Zea mays L.) [Master’s thesis, University of Groningen].
Anonymous. (2021). Salinity in soils. Agrowy. https://www.agrowy.com/yazilar/topraklarimizdaki-tuzluluk.
Aslam, A., Nawaz, H., Khan, A., Ghaffar, R., & Abbas, G. (2023). Effect of exogenous application of citric acid on growth of maize (Zea mays L.) under sodium fluoride stress. Fluoride, 56(4 Pt 1), 329–350.
Assaha, D. V., Ueda, A., Saneoka, H., Al-Yahyai, R., & Yaish, M. W. (2017). The role of Na⁺ and K⁺ transporters in salt stress adaptation in glycophytes. Frontiers in Physiology, 8, 509. https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2017.00509.
Balasubramaniam, T., Shen, G., Esmaeili, N., & Zhang, H. (2023). Plants' response mechanisms to salinity stress. Plants, 12(12), 2253. https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12122253.

Chakrobortty, J., Imran, S., Mahamud, M. A., Sarker, P., & Paul, N. C. (2022). Effect of citric acid (CA) priming and exogenous application on germination and early seedling growth of okra (Abelmoschus esculentus L.) plants under salinity stress condition. Archives of Agriculture and Environmental Science, 7(3), 318–326. https://doi.org/10.26832/24566632.2022.070303.
Chen, G., Amoanimaa-Dede, H., Zeng, F., Deng, F., Xu, S., & Chen, Z. H. (2022). Stomatal regulation and adaptation to salinity in glycophytes and halophytes. In Advances in Botanical Research (Vol. 103, pp. 1–42). Academic Press. https://doi.org/10.1016/bs.abr.2022.02.008.
de Azevedo Neto, A. D., Prisco, J. T., Enéas-Filho, J., de Lacerda, C. F., Silva, J. V., da Costa, P. H. A., & Gomes-Filho, E. (2004). Effects of salt stress on plant growth, stomatal response, and solute accumulation of different maize genotypes. Brazilian Journal of Plant Physiology, 16, 31–38. https://doi.org/10.1590/S1677-04202004000100005.
Dikobe, T., Mashile, B., Sinthumule, R., & Ruzvidzo, O. (2021). Distinct morpho-physiological responses of maize to salinity stress. American Journal of Plant Sciences, 12, 946–959. https://doi.org/10.4236/ajps.2021.126064.
El-Beltagi, H. S., Ahmed, S. H., Namich, A. A. M., & Abdel-Sattar, R. R. (2017). Effect of salicylic acid and potassium citrate on cotton plant under salt stress. Fresenius Environmental Bulletin, 26, 1091–1100.
El-Hawary, M., & Nashed, M. E. (2019). Effect of foliar application by some antioxidants on growth and productivity of maize under saline soil conditions. Journal of Plant Production, 10, 93–99. https://doi.org/10.21608/jpp.2019.36238.
FAOSTAT. (2022). Food and agriculture statistics. https://www.fao.org/food-agriculture-statistics/en/.
Farida, M., Ali, S., Rizwan, M., Ali, Q., Abbas, F., Bukharie, S. A. H., Saeed, R., & Wu, L. (2017). Citric acid assisted phytoextraction of chromium by sunflower: Morphophysiological and biochemical alterations in plants. Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety, 145, 90–100. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoenv.2017.07.016.
Gao, Y., Lu, Y., Wu, M., Liang, E., Li, Y., Zhang, D., ... & Chen, J. (2016). Ability to remove Na⁺ and retain K⁺ correlates with salt tolerance in two maize inbred lines seedlings. Frontiers in Plant Science, 7, 1716. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2016.01716.
Gul Jan, F., Hamayun, M., Hussain, A., Gul Jan, G., Iqbal, A., Khan, A., & Lee, I.-J. (2019). An endophytic isolate of the fungus Yarrowia lipolytica produces metabolites that ameliorate the negative impact of salt stress on the physiology of maize. BMC Microbiology, 19(1), 3. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12866-018-1374-6.
Habibi, N., Aryan, S., Amin, M. W., Sanada, A., Terada, N., & Koshio, K. (2023). Potential benefits of seed priming under salt stress conditions on physiological and biochemical attributes of micro-tom tomato plants. Plants, 12(11), 2187. https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12112187.
Hajaji, A. N., Maaroufi-Dguimi, H., & Ammari, Y. 2024. Exogenous application of citric acid mitigates salt-induced oxidative stress in Moringa oleifera seedlings. Journal of Umm Al-Qura University for Applied Sciences. 11, 699-711. https://doi.org/10.1007/s43994-024-00169-3.
Hasanuzzaman, M., Nahar, K., Fujita, M., Ahmad, P., Chandna, R., Prasad, M. N. V., & Ozturk, M. (2013). Enhancing plant productivity under salt stress: Relevance of poly-omics. In P. Ahmad, M. M. Azooz, & M. N. V. Prasad (Eds.), Salt stress in plants (pp. 113–156). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-6108-1_6.
He, F., Zhao, X., Qi, G., Sun, S., Shi, Z., Niu, Y., Wu, Z., & Zhou, W. (2024). Exogenous melatonin alleviates NaCl injury by influencing stomatal morphology, photosynthetic performance, and antioxidant balance in maize. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 25(18), 10077. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms251810077.
Hemdan, O. R., Belal, H. E. E., & Rady, M. M. (2025). Citric acid nanoparticles effectively overcome the impacts of salt stress in hot pepper plants. Labyrinth: Fayoum Journal of Science and Interdisciplinary Studies, 3(2), 40-47. https://doi.org/10.21608/ifjsis.2025.361394.1108
Hossain, M. A., Khatun, M. S., Hosen, M., Sayed, Z. I., Islam, M. R., Chowdhury, M. K., Iqbal, M. A., Al-Ashkar, I., Erden, Z., Toprak, C. C., El Sabagh, A., & Islam, M. S. (2024). Citric acid alleviated salt stress by modulating photosynthetic pigments, plant water status, yield, and nutritional quality of black gram [Vigna mungo (L.) Hepper]. Legume Research, 47(12), 2068–2076. https://doi.org/10.18805/LRF-820.
Hu, L., Zhang, Z., Xiang, Z., & Yang, Z. (2016). Exogenous application of citric acid ameliorates the adverse effect of heat stress in tall fescue (Lolium arundinaceum). Frontiers in Plant Science, 7, 179. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2016.00179.
Hughes, J., Hepworth, C., Dutton, C., Dunn, J. A., Hunt, L., Stephens, J., ... & Gray, J. E. (2017). Reducing stomatal density in barley improves drought tolerance without impacting on yield. Plant Physiology, 174(2), 776–787. https://doi.org/10.1104/pp.16.01844.
Iqbal, M. A., Tarikuzzaman, M., Atique, M. S., Tulona, Z. F., & Lynam, J. G. (2025). Foliar feeding of citric acid mitigates artificial urine and NaCl-induced saline stress in hydroponic sugar beets. Journal of Ecological Engineering, 26(2), 221–230. https://doi.org/10.12911/22998993/196931.
Javed, S. A., Shahzad, S. M., Ashraf, M., Kausar, R., Arif, M. S., Albasher, G., Rizwana, H., & Shakoor, A. (2022). Interactive effect of different salinity sources and their formulations on plant growth, ionic homeostasis, and seed quality of maize. Chemosphere, 291(Part 1), 132678. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2021.132678.
Jones, M. M., & Turner, N. C. (1978). Osmotic adjustment in leaves of sorghum in response to water deficits. Plant Physiology, 61(1), 122–126. https://doi.org/10.1104/pp.61.1.122.
Kandel, B. P. (2020). SPAD value varies with age and leaf of maize plant and its relationship with grain yield. BMC Research Notes, 13, 475. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13104-020-05324-7.
Klimek-Szczykutowicz, M., Szopa, A., & Ekiert, H. (2020). Citrus limon (lemon) phenomenon—A review of the chemistry, pharmacological properties, applications in the modern pharmaceutical, food, and cosmetics industries, and biotechnological studies. Plants, 9(1), 119. https://doi.org/10.3390/plants9010119.
Kılınç, S., Atakul, Ş., Kahraman, Ş., Aktaş, H., Erdemci, İ., & Gül, İ. (2023). Ekim zamanlarının şeker mısır (Zea mays saccharata Sturt.) çeşitlerinde bazı verim ve kalite özelliklerine etkisi. Kahramanmaraş Sütçü İmam Üniversitesi Tarım ve Doğa Dergisi, 26(2), 282–292. https://doi.org/10.18016/ksutarimdoga.vi.1049530.
Kılınç, S., Karademir, Ç., & Ekin, Z. (2018). Bazı mısır (Zea mays L.) çeşitlerinde verim ve kalite özelliklerinin belirlenmesi. Kahramanmaraş Sütçü İmam Üniversitesi Tarım ve Doğa Dergisi, 21(6), 809–816. https://doi.org/10.18016/ksutarimdoga.vi.463813.
Lutts, S., Kinet, J. M., & Bouharmont, J. (1996). NaCl-induced senescence in leaves of rice (Oryza sativa L.) cultivars differing in salinity resistance. Annals of Botany, 78, 389–398. https://doi.org/10.1006/anbo.1996.0134.
Maas, E. V., Poss, J. A., & Hoffman, G. J. (1986). Salt tolerance of plants. Applied Agricultural Research, 1, 12–26. Nachshon, U. (2018). Cropland soil salinization and associated hydrology: Trends, processes, and examples. Water, 10(8), 1030. https://doi.org/10.3390/w10081030.
Pandit, K., Chandni, Kaur, S., Kumar, M., Bhardwaj, R., & Kaur, S. (2024). Salinity stress: Impact on plant growth. In A. Sharma, M. Kumar, & P. Sharma (Eds.), Advances in food security and sustainability (Vol. 9, pp. 145–160). Elsevier. https://doi.org/10.1016/bs.af2s.2024.07.002.
Rady, M. M., Alharby, H. F., Desoky, El-S. M., Maray, A. R. M., Mohamed, I. A. A., Howladar, S. M., Abd Elmohsen, Y. H., Faraz, A., Shafaqat Ali, S., & AbdelKhalik, A. (2023). Citrate-containing lemon juice, as an organic substitute for chemical citric acid, proactively improves photosynthesis, antioxidant capacity, and enzyme gene expression in cadmium-exposed Phaseolus vulgaris. South African Journal of Botany, 160, 88–101. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sajb.2023.07.004.
Rhaman, M. S., Rauf, F., Tania, S. S., Bayazid, N., Tahjib-ul-Arif, M., Robin, A. H. K., ... & Brestic, M. (2024). Proline and glycine betaine: A dynamic duo for enhancing salt stress resilience in maize by regulating growth, stomatal size, and oxidative stress responses. Plant Stress, 14, 100563. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.stress.2024.100563.
Rizk, M. S., Assaha, D. V. M., Mekawy, A. M. M., Shalaby, N. E., Ramadan, E. A., El-Tahan, A. M., Ibrahim, O. M., Metwelly, H. I. F., Okla, M. K., Maridueña-Zavala, M. G., AbdElgawad, H., & Ueda, A. (2024). Comparative analysis of salinity tolerance mechanisms in two maize genotypes: Growth performance, ion regulation, and antioxidant responses. BMC Plant Biology, 24(1), 818. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12870-024-05533-3.
Safdar, H., Amin, A., Shafiq, Y., Ali, A., Yasin, R., Shoukat, A., Ul Hussan, M., & Sarwar, M. I. (2019). A review: Impact of salinity on plant growth. Natural Science, 17(1), 34–40. https://doi.org/10.7537/marsnsj170119.06.
Sallah-Ud-Din, R., Farid, M., Saeed, R., Ali, S., Rizwan, M., Tauqeer, H. M., & Bukhari, S. A. H. (2017). Citric acid enhanced the antioxidant defense system and chromium uptake by Lemna minor L. grown in hydroponics under Cr stress. Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 24(17), 17669–17678. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-017-9290-0.
Shareef, H. J., Abbas, M. F., & Jasim, A. M. (2022). Response of date palm offshoots (Phoenix dactylifera L.) to the foliar spray of salicylic acid and citric acid under salinity conditions. Folia Oecologica, 49(2), 130–136. https://doi.org/10.2478/foecol-2022-0015.
Shah, S. H., Houborg, R., & McCabe, M. F. (2017). Response of chlorophyll, carotenoid, and SPAD-502 measurement to salinity and nutrient stress in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). Agronomy, 7(3), 61. https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy7030061.
Singh, A. (2022). Soil salinity: A global threat to sustainable development. Soil Use and Management, 38(1), 39–67. https://doi.org/10.1111/sum.12772.
Sinthumule, R. R., Ruzvidzo, O., & Dikobe, T. B. (2022). Elucidation of the morpho-physiological traits of maize (Zea mays L.) under salt stress. Journal of Experimental Biology and Agricultural Sciences, 10(6), 1441–1452. https://doi.org/10.18006/2022.10(6).1441.1452.
Sun, Y.-L., & Hong, S.-K. (2011). Effects of citric acid as an important component of the responses to saline and alkaline stress in the halophyte Leymus chinensis (Trin.). Plant Growth Regulation, 64, 129–139. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10725-010-9547-9.
Sun, Y., Mu, C., Zheng, H., Lu, S., Zhang, H., Zhang, X., & Liu, X. (2018). Exogenous Pi supplementation improved the salt tolerance of maize (Zea mays L.) by promoting Na⁺ exclusion. Scientific Reports, 8(1), 16203. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-018-34320-y.
Tahjib-Ul-Arif, M., Zahan, M. I., Karim, M. M., Imran, S., Hunter, C. T., Islam, M. S., Mia, M. A., Hannan, M. A., Rhaman, M. S., Hossain, M. A., Brestic, M., Skalicky, M., & Murata, Y. (2021). Citric acid-mediated abiotic stress tolerance in plants. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 22(13), 7235. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms22137235.
Talakayala, A., Jupally, Y., Asinti, S., Mekala, G. K., Kirti, P. B., & Sharma, I. (2025). Differences in the regulation of ion imbalance in response to high Na⁺ load hint at differential strategies for salt-tolerance in mungbean genotypes (Vigna radiata L.). Plant Growth Regulation, 105(1), 89–109. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10725-024-01257-4.
Tavakkoli, E., Rengasamy, P., & McDonald, G. K. (2010). High concentrations of Na⁺ and Cl⁻ ions in soil solution have simultaneous detrimental effects on growth of faba bean under salinity stress. Journal of Experimental Botany, 61(15), 4449–4459. https://doi.org/10.1093/jxb/erq251.
Tester, M., & Davenport, R. (2003). Na⁺ tolerance and Na⁺ transport in higher plants. Annals of Botany, 91(5), 503–527. https://doi.org/10.1093/aob/mcg058.
Wang, Y., & Chen, Z. H. (2020). Does molecular and structural evolution shape the speedy grass stomata? Frontiers in Plant Science, 11, 333. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2020.00333.
Yadav, N., Monika, Kumar, A., Kumar, N., Mamta, Heena, Kumar, S., & Arya, S. S. (2022). Impacts on plant growth and development under stress. In A. Vaishnav, S. S. Arya, & D. K. Choudhary (Eds.), Plant stress mitigators: Action and application (pp. 61–100). Springer Nature Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-16-7759-5_4.
Yadav, S., Irfan, M., Ahmad, A., & Hayat, S. (2011). Causes of salinity and plant manifestations to salt stress: A review. Journal of Environmental Biology, 32(5), 667.

Details

Primary Language

English

Subjects

Field Crops and Pasture Production (Other)

Journal Section

Research Article

Authors

Tuğba Sarıca
0009-0003-5126-5201
Türkiye

Süleyman Avcı ^*
0000-0002-4653-5567
Türkiye

Early Pub Date

January 21, 2026

Publication Date

January 21, 2026

Submission Date

May 9, 2025

Acceptance Date

September 25, 2025

Published in Issue

Year 1970 Volume: 29 Number: 2

DOI

https://doi.org/10.18016/ksutarimdoga.vi.1695598

IZ

https://izlik.org/JA59MS28CR

Cite

RIS / Bibtex

APA

Sarıca, T., & Avcı, S. (2026). Mitigating Salt Stress in Maize Seedlings: Comparative Effects of Lemon Juice and Citric Acid Application. Kahramanmaraş Sütçü İmam Üniversitesi Tarım Ve Doğa Dergisi, 29(2), 396-407. https://doi.org/10.18016/ksutarimdoga.vi.1695598