Assessing the growth, biochemical and phytoremediation potential of Suaeda maritima (L.) Dumort. – A salt marsh halophyte in salt affected farmland

Soil salinization represents a significant global environmental challenge, severely compromising the functional integrity of terrestrial ecosystems by disrupting ecosystem services, threatening biodiversity, diminishing agricultural productivity and accelerating land degradation. Without the adoption of effective reclamation strategies, the progression of salinization is anticipated to intensify, especially in developing nations. Current experiment was conducted on salinity affected land over a period of 120 days at Nava Pettai Village, Cuddalore district, Tamil Nadu, utilizing Suaeda maritima as a biological tool to assess its efficacy in mitigating salinity. This study explored Suaeda maritima’s growth parameters, biomass accumulation, biochemical, enzymatic activity and soil physico-chemical characteristics. The study highlights the superior halotolerance and bioaccumulation efficiency of S. maritima in facilitating soil reclamation. The species exhibited a remarkable sodium phytoaccumulation capacity of 478 kg NaCl ha⁻¹ , which contributed to a substantial reduction in soil pH from 8.7 to 6.7, electrical conductivity from 4.89 to 1.62 dS m⁻¹ , and sodium adsorption ratio from 15.2 to 7.2 mmol L⁻¹ . Notable improvements were observed in plant height, biomass, biochemical constituents, and antioxidant enzyme activity was recorded throughout the experimental period compared to the control. The findings demonstrate that the repeated cultivation of S. maritima offers a promising and sustainable approach for ameliorating saline soils, thereby mitigating a major limitation to agricultural productivity in salt-affected regions.