Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
SILICON, 2025 (SCI-Expanded, Scopus)
Drought stress, which occurs unpredictably and repeatedly, negatively affects the success of afforestation. This study aimed to investigate the morpho-physiological responses of stone pine (Pinus pinea L.) seedlings treated with silicon-based fertilizer under the impact of drought stress. The main research question was whether silicon-based fertilizers could enhance the drought resistance of seedlings by improving their water content, photosynthetic activity, and growth parameters. A four-week pot experiment was conducted with two main treatment groups: well-watered and drought-stressed. Three different silicon-based fertilizer doses (0 g, 15 g, and 30 g per seedling/pot) were applied to each group. Morphological (height and diameter increment, biomass) and physiological (water potential, relative water content, and chlorophyll fluorescence) parameters of the seedlings were measured. To assess the visual symptoms of tissue damage at the end of the drought experiment, the visual severity of all treated seedlings was also evaluated. The results showed a significant interaction between doses and treatments for height increment (P < 0.05) while no significant effects were observed for diameter increment. Silicon-based fertilization improved drought tolerance in stressed seedlings by enhancing their midday relative water content and photosynthetic activity. Notably, moderate doses (15 g per seedling/pot) was found to be effective in mitigating drought-induced stress and promoting faster recovery after the stress period. The findings demonstrate that silicon-based fertilizers have the potential to enhance the drought resistance of stone pine seedlings, offering a promising strategy for afforestation efforts in drought-prone regions.