Abstract

MAZON-SUASTEGUI, José Manuel et al. Effect of Natrum muriaticum on photosynthesis and biomass of basil plants grown under salt stress (NaCl). Rev. Mex. Cienc. Agríc [online]. 2022, vol.13, n.spe28, pp.219-229.  Epub Jan 13, 2023. ISSN 2007-0934.  https://doi.org/10.29312/remexca.v13i28.3277.

Highly diluted bioactive compounds have been successfully used in the agricultural sector to stimulate plant growth and development even in unfavorable crop conditions. For this reason, the feasibility of using Natrum muriaticum (NaM), a homeopathic ultradilution, as an elicitor agent against the negative effects of salt stress by NaCl, was studied in two varieties of basil (Ocimum basilicum L) grown in a saline medium, at CIBNOR, SC.), in February-March 2019. A completely randomized design with a factorial arrangement (2A×2B×3C) was applied, considering the Napoletano and Emily varieties as factor, the concentration of NaCl (0 and 75 mM) as factor B, and the homeopathic treatments NaM (7CH, 13CH and distilled water as control) as factor C, adding a total of 12 treatments with four repetitions each, and photosynthetic-rate and production of fresh and dry biomass of aerial part as response variables. The analysis of variance and multiple comparisons of means (Tukey HSD p≤ 0.05) revealed that both dynamizations of NaM (7CH and 13CH) favored an increase in the response variables evaluated in plants subjected to salt stress. The highest increase in photosynthetic rate (75%) and fresh biomass of the aerial part (40%) with respect to the control treatment was obtained with NaM 7CH in the Napoletano variety. In conclusion, the application of NaM attenuates salt stress in Ocimum basilicum L, confirming that agricultural homeopathy is an eco-friendly alternative that can increase basil production under salt stress conditions.

Keywords : agricultural homeopathy; aromatic species; arid zones; salinity stress.