The Homeopathy increases tolerance to stress by NaCl in plants of common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) variety Quivicán

Abstract

Currently, the international scientif ic community is increasingly promoting the use of alternatives eco-friendly to the environment to solve agricultural problems, such as soil salinization. The use of agricultural homeopathy, as one of these alternatives, has increased because of its safety and proven effectiveness. This study assessed the effect of attenuating salinity stress (NaCl) of the homeopathic medicine Natrum muriaticum (NaM) on photosynthetic rate (TF) and morphometric variables of the common bean plant (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) variety white testa Quivican in initial plant growth stage. A completely randomized experimental design was applied with bifactorial arrangement (2A × 4B) where A = salinity levels (0 and 75 mM) and B = homeopathic dynamizations (NaM-7CH, NaM-13CH, NaM-7+13CH and distilled water [AD] as homeopathic control) with f ive replicates per treatment. The TF measurements were done twice a week, and the morphometric variables were measured at the end of the experimental evaluation period (35 days). In general, the assessed morphometric variables were favored with the application of the homeopathic treatments NaM 7CH and NaM 7+13CH; the increase in root length (LR) and fresh leaf biomass (BFH) were greater even when the plants were in salinity stress conditions (75mM NaCl). The TF reached the highest value when the plants in saline medium were treated with NaM-7CH, and an increase greater than 50% in PR was observed with respect to the (AD) control treatment. These results demonstrated a great potential of agricultural homeopathy as a bio-safe and low-cost alternative to increase P. vulgaris L.  tolerance to NaCl and achieve greater areas of this crop.