Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
Horticulturae, cilt.2025, sa.11, ss.1-17, 2025 (SCI-Expanded, Scopus)
Although known as a cool-season vegetable, leeks (Allium ampeloprasum L. var. porrum) are particularly susceptible to sudden temperature drops during the seedling stage. While melatonin’s mitigating effect on abiotic stresses has been observed in many plants, very few studies have investigated its effects on leek seedlings under cold stress. In this study, leek seedlings grown under ideal conditions were sprayed with melatonin at concentrations of 0, 1, 2, 4, and 8 µM on the 45th and 60th days. Morphological data were recorded on the 74th day, and the following day, cold stress was applied at 0 °C for 0, 2, 4, 6, and 24 h. On the 76th day, the first biochemical analyses (antioxidant capacity, total phenolic content, total flavonoid content, and total soluble protein content) were performed. After a three-week growth period under ideal conditions, morphological measurements and biochemical analyses were repeated. According to the findings, treatments with 4 and 8 μM melatonin prevented cold-induced changes in the plants’ morphological data. It was determined that concentrations of 1 and 2 µM melatonin were more effective on biochemical contents. According to the study’s findings, melatonin treatment mitigated the harmful effects of cold stress on leeks. The results obtained indicate that melatonin is a promising tool for increasing plants’ resistance to cold stress.