Effects of Irrigation with Microcystin-Containing Water on Growth, Physiology, and Antioxidant Defense in Strawberry Fragaria vulgaris under Hydroponic Culture

Over the last years, the use of artificial lakes and ponds to irrigate agricultural crops has been intensified and cultivation methods have been diversified. Hydroponics is a type of hydroculture which usually involves growing plants in an inert substrate, by using nutrient-enriched water to support plant growth. However, irrigating plants in hydroponic-based culture must be accompanied by monitoring the quality of irrigation water. The human health risks involved are mainly related to the proliferation of microcystin-producing cyanobacteria that contaminate water used for irrigation purposes. Strawberry (Fragaria vulgaris L.) is a widely cultivated plant of an increased economically importance worldwide. Its fruits provide essential elements for human nutrition; therefore, the study of its sensitivity to microcystins (MCs) is of paramount importance. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of MCs in irrigation water on the growth, physiology, and antioxidant defense system in F. vulgaris. In this study, strawberry seedlings at the three-leaf stage were grown in pots containing perlite under controlled conditions. Plants were exposed to a crude extract of Microcystis aeruginosa bloom at different concentrations of MCs (1, 5, 10, and 20 μg/L) for 60 days of exposure. The results showed that the highest concentrations of 10 and 20 μg/L induced a decrease in growth parameters. They resulted in root/shoot length decrease as well as number of leaves, roots/leaves dry and fresh weight. Furthermore, MCs reduced chlorophyll/carotenoid content, stomatal conductance, fluorescence, and total protein content of strawberry plants. At the same time, a significant increase in Malondialdehyde (MDA) (an indicator of lipid peroxidation), polyphenol, and sugar content were recorded in strawberry plants exposed to MCs at 5, 10, and 20 μg/L compared with the control. Additionally, superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), peroxidase (POD), Polyphenoloxydase (PPO), and ascorbate peroxidase (APX) activities significantly increased in plants under MCs exposure. The oxidative stress was higher in plants exposed to 10 and 20 μg/L of MCs from the second harvest (after 60 days of exposure) compared to those from the first harvest (after 30 days). Overall, the results obtained in this study indicate an increasingly negative effect of MCs on strawberry plants grown in hydroponics even at concentrations (10 and 20 µg/L). This effect is more damaging on the roots after exposure (60 days).