Environmental stress factors, especially salinity, are among the most important abiotic stresses that negatively affect plant production worldwide. High salt levels in irrigation water are a major abiotic stress factor that significantly reduces spinach physiological functioning and production, particularly in irrigated areas. Improving the salt tolerance of spinach is critical for sustainable production, and in this study, we tested the hypothesis that exogenous proline (5 µM), ascorbic acid (1 mM), and salicylic acid (1 mM) applications, applied separately, would reduce salinity stress. These applications were performed at regular 14-day intervals starting from the third true leaf stage. For this purpose, plants were exposed to irrigation water salinities of 0.38, 2.0, 4.0, 7.0, 10.0, and 15.0 dS m−1, and growth, photosynthetic performance, antioxidant enzyme activities, lipid peroxidation, endogenous proline, and mineral contents were assessed. Increasing salinity to 15 dS m−1 decreased leaf area by 53.23% and stomatal conductance by 83.07%, and all these physiological changes were statistically significant. Under salinity conditions, catalase, guaiacol peroxidase, glutathione reductase, glutathione S-transferase, and superoxide dismutase activities increased by 1.13–2.52-fold, while ascorbate peroxidase activity decreased by 59.69%. Malondialdehyde levels increased 6-fold with salinity, indicating enhanced oxidative damage. Consequently, yield decreased by 31% under 15 dS m−1 salinity. Although all exogenous applications alleviated salinity stress, the most significant improvement was observed in proline application. Proline increased yield and chlorophyll content by 9% and 8.5%, respectively, and also increased antioxidant enzyme activities by 24.4–66.7%. Salicylic acid treatment increased the K+/Na+ ratio by 26.6%, and ascorbic acid treatment increased the Ca2+/Na+ ratio by 36.6%. Overall, low-dose proline application was found to improve photosynthetic pigment content and stomatal conductance, antioxidant defenses, and ion homeostasis in spinach against salinity stress, providing a stronger protective effect compared to ascorbic acid and salicylic acid. Furthermore, it can be concluded that proline application could be an effective way to manage salinity-induced limitations to physiological processes and yields, providing practical applications for sustainable production under saline irrigation conditions.

The purpose of this study is to provide a priming application with plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) and 2,3-dihydroxybenzoic acid (2,3-DHBA) to tolerate salinity stress in wheat. Effects of six different irrigation water salinity (0.38, 2, 4, 7, 10, 15 dS/m) and three different priming practices (control, 2,3-DHBA and PGPR) on antioxidant enzyme activity, malondialdehyde (MDA) levels, proline contents, photosynthetic capacity and growth characteristics were investigated. Salt stress caused a decrease in germination rate, tillering number, yield parameters, stomata, chlorophyll and carotenoid contents. Among the treatments, PGPR increased the germination rate and fresh weight by 5.20

Salinity stress severely limits global crop production by disrupting essential physiological and biochemical processes, highlighting the need for innovative approaches to increase plant resilience. Salicylic acid (SA) and humic acid (HA), both established plant growth regulators, are known to improve plant tolerance to salinity. However, their potential synergistic interaction in enhancing the salt tolerance of lettuce remains largely unexplored. This study evaluated the single and together effects of soil-applied HA (500 mL L− 1) and foliar-applied SA (1.0 mM) on water productivity, yield, photosynthetic efficiency, nutrient balance, and antioxidant responses in lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) grown under control (0.18 dS m⁻¹) and saline (5 dS m⁻¹) irrigation. Salinity markedly reduced yield, evapotranspiration (ET), and water use efficiency (WUE), while increasing oxidative stress and Na+ accumulation. Both HA and SA alone mitigated these effects, but their combination produced the most pronounced improvements. Co-supplementation of HA + SA enhanced yield by 50.3

Drought is one of the most important environmental stresses that threaten plant growth and development, fruit yield, and the quality of strawberries. Applying biological regulators such as salicylic acid (SA) effectively reduces the negative effects of water-deficit stress and improves the growth and yield performance of strawberries. This study aimed to determine the impact of irrigation levels and salicylic acid on morphological, physiological, yield, and quality parameters of day-neutral strawberry cv. ‘San Andreas.’ The strawberry plants were planted in black pots containing a soil, peat, and perlite mixture (2:1:1). An equal amount of irrigation water was maintained for the plants after planting until they had 3–4 leaves. Three irrigation levels were applied at 100

Monitoring groundwater quality is very important in coastal areas with intensive irrigation. Excessive use of groundwater use coastal areas can lead to seawater intrusion. The quality of irrigation water significantly has a significant impact on a crop productivity and can cause soil salinization. This study was conducted to determine the quality of groundwater quality and assess its suitability for irrigation in the coastal regions of Anamur and Ayd & imath;nc & imath;k districts in Mersin province. In August 2021, samples were taken from 51 groundwater wells used for greenhouse irrigations, and the values of pH, electrical conductivity (EC, Na, Mg, K, Cl, SO4, HCO3, and Ca were measured. To assess the suitability of the water for irrigation, values for %Na, PI, RSC, PS, MR, KI, and SAR were calculated. Additionally, spatial distribution maps were created for the water's chemical properties and irrigation water quality indices. The groundwater's EC values ranged from a minimum of 0.475 dS m-1 to a maximum of 1.13 dS m-1. According to the spatial distribution map, it was determined that 92.03% of the region's groundwater quality is classified as Class 3 in terms of irrigation suitability. In 9.71% of the study area, magnesium (Mg) levels exceeded the acceptable threshold for irrigation water. Based on potential salinity (PS) values, 84.91% of the area falls within the medium class for irrigation suitability. The Permeability Index (PI) varies between 17.19 and 48.17, with an average value of 29.84. The potassium (K) values ranged from between 0.391 mg L-1 to 10.557 mg L-1, with 68.3% of the groundwater samples in the region exceeding the threshold value which could pose a risk for irrigation. It was determined that there were no problems in terms of SAR, KI and RSC in the groundwater samples in the area. Groundwater quality is above the limit values in some regions. Due to the intensive agricultural activities in the study area and its proximity to the coastline, it was established that groundwater extraction in the area should be controlled.

Waterlogging increasingly threatens plant growth and food security, resulting in significant yield losses. Recent research has emphasized regulatory compounds as effective solutions to alleviate abiotic stress. However, previous studies have investigated the effects of salicylic acid (SA) on sweet corn, limited research has comparatively examined the roles of SA and proline (Pro) in sweet corn under waterlogged conditions. This study aims to address this gap through a controlled pot experiment conducted under a rain shelter. This research evaluated the effect of exogenous SA and Pro on grain yield, ear characteristics, photosynthesis, total soluble solids, ion balance, and antioxidant activities in sweet corn (Zea mays var. saccharate) under different durations of waterlogging stress (3, 6, and 9 days) at the seedling (V3) and tasseling (V6) stages, with non-waterlogged (NWL) as control (CK). Waterlogging during V3 significantly reduced grain yield and other traits, with 9 days causing the greatest decline; grain yield dropped by 56.4

Toprak haritaları, sürdürülebilir tarım, arazi yönetimi ve arazi toplulaştırmalarının planlanmasında çok önemli yer tutmaktadır. Bu nedenle toprak özelliklerinin alansal dağılımlarının en az hata ile yapılması projenin başarısı için çok önemlidir. Bu haritaların oluşturulmasında farklı enterpolasyon yöntemleri (IDW, Kriging, RBF vb.) kullanılmaktadır. Enterpolasyon yöntemleri, toplulaştırma sürecinde toprak sınıflarının belirlenmesi ve sınırların doğru çizilmesine olanak tanımaktadır. Bu çalışmada Devlet Su İşleri Genel Müdürlüğü tarafından Konya ili Altınekin ilçesi 1. Kısım Arazi Toplulaştırma ve TİGH Projesi kapsamında, 24.911 hektarlık alanda 1318 noktadan elde edilen toprak verileri kullanılmış ve bu verilerden arazi toplulaştırma da çok önemli bir aşama olan toprak indeks değerleri hesaplanmıştır. Çalışmada hesaplanmış olan toprak indeks değerlerinin alansal dağılım haritaları IDW, RBF ve Kriging enterpolasyon yöntemlerine ait toplam 12 farklı yöntem ile hazırlanmış ve en iyi enterpolasyon yöntemi belirlenmeye çalışılmıştır. Yöntemlerin karşılaştırılmasında RMSE değerleri kullanılmıştır. Yapılan analizlerde, IDW-3 yöntemi 12.399 ile en düşük RMSE değerine sahip olarak belirlenmiş ve çalışma için en uygun yöntem olarak öne çıkmıştır. Yöntemlere göre alansal dağılım arasında çok büyük farklılıklar olduğu belirlenmiştir. Bu durum alan bazlı çalışmalarda seçilen enterpolasyon yönteminin önemini ortaya koymuştur. Arazi toplulaştırma çalışmalarının toprak etüt ve haritalama aşamalarında klasik değerlendirme yerine enterpolasyon yöntemlerine göre yapılan haritaların kullanılması arazi toplulaştırma çalışmalarının başarısına önemli katkılar sağlayacağı düşünülmektedir.

Çeltik, dünya nüfusunun yarısından fazlası için temel gıda kaynağı olan en önemli tahıl ürünlerinden biridir. Artan dünya nüfusunu sürdürülebilir bir şekilde besleyebilmek adına, tarımsal sulama yöntemlerinin geliştirilmesi ve su kaynaklarının verimli kullanımı üzerine çalışmaların yoğunlaşması gerekliliği giderek artmaktadır. Çeltik bitkisinin sulanan tarım alanlarının %34-43'ünü kullandığı tahmin edilmektedir. Küresel ölçekte su kaynakları hızla azalmaktadır ve çeltik üretiminde ihtiyaç duyulan toplam sulama suyu miktarı; kullanılan çeltik çeşidi, toprağın özellikleri ve ekim yöntemleri gibi çeşitli faktörlere göre farklılık göstermektedir. Bu çalışma, Tesadüf Blokları deneme desenine göre düzenlenmiştir. Çalışmada 2 çeltik çeşidi, 2 farklı sulama yöntemi (Geleneksel ve Alternatif tava ıslatma kurutma) ve 3 farklı ekim yöntemi (Sulu, Kuruya ve Fideleme) seçilmiş ve araştırma üç tekrarlamalı olmak üzere 36 lizimetrede yürütülmüştür. Araştırmada çeltikle ilgili bitki boyu, ana sap kalınlığı, salkım uzunluğu, metrekaredeki bitki sayısı, tane verimi, bin tane ağırlığı, kırıklı randıman ve kırıksız randıman gibi özellikler incelenmiştir. İncelenen parametreler üzerine araştırma konularının istatistiksel olarak etkisi olduğu tespit edilmiştir. Tane verimi açısından su uygulamasında geleneksel sulama ile alternatif ıslatma kurutma sulama yöntemi arasında %25 oranında tane verimin azaldığı tespit edilmiştir. Ekim yöntemleri açısından ise, sulu ekim, kuru ekim ve fideleme yöntemleri birbirini takip etmiştir. Yapılan araştırma sonucunda en yüksek tane veriminin suya ekim yönteminde ve geleneksel sulama ile elde edildiği tespit edilmiştir.

Günümüzde gelişen teknolojik imkânlar ve yaşanan dijitalleşme süreçleri, her alanda olduğu gibi karar verme süreçlerinde de derinden hissedilmektedir. Geleneksel karar verme yöntemlerine büyük bir alternatif olarak kullanılmaya başlanan çok kriterli karar verme yöntemleri ve özellikle bütünleşik çok kriterli karar verme yöntemleri karar vericilere ve ilgililere daha kapsamlı ve objektif karar alma olanağı sağlamaktadır. Bu kitabın temel amacı, güncel ve bütünleşik çok kriterli karar verme yöntemlerini ve uygulamalarını derinlemesine incelemektir. Türkiye'nin kıymetli üniversitelerinden, alanında uzman değerli akademisyenler tarafından oluşturulan bölümler, nicel karar verme yöntemleri alanında teorik altyapı oluşturmak, güncel konular hakkında literatüre katkı sunmak, var olan güncel işletme problemlerine yönelik çözüm önerilerinde bulunmak ve farklı disiplinleri bir arada buluşturmak için özenle kaleme alınmıştır. Bütünleşik çok kriterli karar verme, Kurumsal Sürdürülebilirlik Performansının Değerlendirilmesi, Lojistik Performans Endekslerinin Değerlendirilmesi, Havayolu Yolcu Taşımacılığı Sektöründe Hizmet Kalitesinin Değerlendirilmesi, hazır beton ve ambalaj sektörlerinde tedarikçilerin değerlendirilmesi gibi güncel ve önemli konular bu kitapta ayrı ayrı bölümler halinde ele alınmaktadır. Böylece, karar vericiler ve ilgililer için pratik ve uygulanabilir çözüm önerileri sunulmaktadır. Bu eserin ortaya çıkmasında büyük bir özveriyle katkı sağlayan bütün değerli akademisyenlerimize ve bu yolda yürümeye kararlı olan tüm araştırmacılara sonsuz teşekkürlerimi ve şükranlarımı sunuyorum. Umarım bu kitap, karar verme yöntemleri alanında çalışan akademisyenler, araştırmacılar ve uygulamacılar için faydalı bir kaynak olur.

Soil salinization poses a significant challenge to the sustainability and productivity of agriculture worldwide. This issue continues to hinder plant growth, requiring innovative solutions to alleviate salt stress. Moreover, climate change accelerates soil salinization, which may soon spread to previously unaffected agricultural areas. Therefore, the present study evaluated the potential role of different seed priming agents (hydro (H), salicylic acid (SA), proline (P), and melatonin (MEL)) on seedlings and leaf macro and micronutrients of sorghum grown under four (.27, 2.5, 5.0, and 8.0 dS m-1) soil salinity conditions. Soil salinity drastically reduced all the growth parameters of sorghum seedlings, primarily the reduction in growth traits, which was remarkable after 2.5 dS m-1 soil salinity. In addition, plant height, shoot fresh weight, and stomata were reduced by 40.8%, 74.6%, and 36.5%, respectively, at 8.0 dS m-1 compared to .27 dS m-1. SA- and MEL-primed seeds mitigated the harmful effects of soil salinity by reducing Na+ accumulation in the leaves and increasing the K+/Na+ and Ca2+/Na+ ratios and photosynthetic activity under salt stress. However, the Zn2+, Mn2+, and Cu2+ contents of sorghum leaves increased with increasing soil salinity, and these nutrients also improved with seed priming by SA, MEL, and P. Considering all nutrients, MEL-primed sorghum seeds had better macro- and micro-nutrient uptake capacities than the H, SA, and P treatments under high soil salinity conditions. Finally, the present study showed that MEL-induced improvement in salt tolerance in sorghum seedlings was related to enhanced nutritional status, photosynthetic activity, and biomass production in salinized areas.

Tuz stresi, dünya genelinde tarımsal üretimde verimlilik ve sürdürülebilirliği olumsuz etkileyen en önemli abiyotik stres faktörlerinden biridir. Bu koşullarda, tarımsal verimliliğini arttırmak için etkili ve sürdürülebilir çözümlerin üretilmesi gerekmektedir. Bu çalışmada potasyum nitrat (KNO3) dozları (0, 12.5 25 ve 50 mM) ile ön uygulamaya tabi tutulmuş sorgum tohumlarının 4 farklı toprak tuzluluğu koşullarında (0.63, 5.10, 9.55 ve 14.02 dS m-1) fide büyümesi, stoma iletkenliği, SPAD ve bitki su tüketimi parametreleri incelenmiştir. Toprak tuzluluğu arttıkça fide boyu, toprak üstü yaş ve kuru ağırlık, yaprak alanı, stoma iletkenliği ve SPAD değerleri önemli derecede azalmıştır. Toprak tuzluluğu 14.02 dS m-1'e kıyasla, 0.63 dS m-1 tuzluluk seviyesinde yaprak alanı %123.9, stoma iletkenliği %159.6 ve SPAD değeri %100.4 oranında artmıştır. Potasyum nitrat uygulamalarının sorgum fidelerinin bitki su tüketimi üzerine önemli bir etkilerinin olmadığı tespit edilmiştir. Ancak, potasyum nitrat dozları sorgum fide büyümesini pozitif etkilemiştir. Buna göre, 0 mM potasyum nitrata kıyasla, 50 mM potasyum nitrat uygulaması bitki boyunu %13.1, toprak üstü yaş ağırlığı %29.3, yaprak alanını %26.4 ve SPAD değerini %45.0 oranında artırmıştır. Özellikle, 0, 12.5 ve 25 mM KNO3 kıyasla, sorgum tohumlarının 50 mM KNO3 ile ön uygulamaya tabi tutulması, 5.10 dS m-1 toprak tuzluluğu koşullarında sorgum fide gelişimini arttırmıştır. Elde edilen bulgular, potasyum nitratın sorgum bitkilerinde tuz stresinin toksik etkisini iyileştirmede etkili olduğunu göstermiştir. Sonuç olarak, tuzlu tarımsal üretim alanlarında, sorgum fide gelişimini arttırmak için sorgum tohumlarının ekiminden önce 50 mM KNO3 ile ön uygulamaya tabi tutulması önerilebilir.

The Arabic word for „ İktisat (Economics)” is derived from the root „intention”. Legal science defines “intent” as performing an act consciously. Economic science defines “İktisat” (economics) as the conscious prioritization of a person’s primary requirements over their secondary desires. Since intent serves as the true foundation for the administration of justice, it may be claimed that what is fair economically is also fair. In the study, examples of economic and fair administrations that can provide social welfare have been evaluated economically sociologically in the historical process. To prove the main idea of the study, the data of the international democracy rule of law indexes were used. In this context, the financial data during the one-party period, the military coups and the memorandum periods in which democracy and the rule of law were suspended in Turkey were analyzed in depth and interpreted by comparing them with the country’s financial sociologic indicators. Also, economic changes in periods when civil and political rights were limited or expanded will be discussed in the study. As a result, it has been found out that only democratic regimes that internalize liberal values, civil and political rights, and the rule of law can lead their respective societies to achieve economic prosperity.

Antioxidant enzymes in plants are critical for protection against oxidative stress and for the overall health and resilience of plant systems. However, antioxidant responses of plants grown in shallow and saline groundwater are poorly understood. Therefore, understanding the biochemical responses of plants to shallow groundwater significantly affects food security and environmental conservation. With this aim, the present work was carried out for 2 years in drainable lysimeters to assess the effects of four different groundwater salinities (0.38, 2.0, 4.0 and 8.0 dS m(-1)) on the temporal changes in antioxidant enzymatic activity in wheat plants under three different groundwater depths (30, 55 and 80 cm). Superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione S-transferase (GST) and catalase (CAT) activities varied significantly based on groundwater depth and salinity. CAT and GST enzyme levels increased curvilinearly with rising groundwater depth and salinity. Conversely, the GR enzyme activity showed no significant change with groundwater depths but increased linearly with higher salinity. SOD enzyme activity notably increased at a groundwater depth of 30 cm but decreased at a depth of 80 cm. Moreover, the peak activity of the GR enzyme was observed at a 6 dS m-1 groundwater salinity under groundwater depths. Additionally, the GST and CAT enzyme activities were inhibited more when the groundwater depth was <55 cm and the groundwater salinity was >4.20 dS m(-1). Finally, identifying the peak levels of antioxidant enzymes could potentially serve as an indicator for determining the optimal timing for applying stress mitigation methods in areas with shallow and saline groundwater.

This research aims to examine the evolution of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in Türkiye following the introduction of neoliberal policies, utilizing Habermas's legitimacy crisis theory. The findings demonstrate that neoliberal policies have created a crisis of legitimacy for NGOs, affecting both their institutional legitimacy and the legitimacy of the public sphere. By shedding light on the legitimacy crisis experienced by NGOs, this study provides an original perspective and contributes to understanding the transformation of NGOs in Türkiye. While qualitative text analysis formed the primary methodology, quantitative data was utilized to support qualitative findings with empirically validated results. By triangulating themes from various sources, consistent patterns in the spread of neoliberalism within the civil sphere were identified. However, it is important to note that further research and analysis are needed to fully comprehend the complexities of this topic and its implications for the field of social sciences.

The contribution of groundwater to evapotranspiration in crop irrigation scheduling is gaining importance worldwide. A two consecutive year wheat experiment was conducted in drainable lysimeters to evaluate the response of grain yield and quality, spike traits, water use efficiency, evapotranspiration and thousand kernel weight of wheat plants under twelve different shallow and saline groundwater conditions. The treatments included three groundwater depths (GWD) (D-1: 30 cm, D-2: 55 cm and D-3: 80 cm) and four groundwater salinities (GWS) (S-1: 0.38, S-2: 2, S-3: 4 and S-4: 8 dSm(-1)). The results show that the average decrease in grain yield for D-2 and D-1 compared to D-3 was 20.9% and 30.7%, respectively, while the decrease for S-2, S-3 and S-4 compared to S-1 was 11.8%, 18.0% and 25.1%. The highest evapotranspiration was found in the D3S1 treatment (630.1 and 550.1 mm in 2017-2018 and 2018-2019, respectively), which increased by 48.0% and 30.2% in the first and second seasons, respectively, compared to the D1S4 treatment. Thus, a GWD at 80 cm with 0.38 dSm(-1) GWS was able to meet 72% of the total water requirement of wheat under loam soil conditions. Water use efficiency values ranged from 1.49 to 1.65 kg m(-3) in the first season and from 1.18 to 1.73 kg m(-3) in the second season, with the highest water use efficiency values found at 80 cm GWD. Regression analysis showed that GWS had a greater effect on water use efficiency than GWD. On average, thousand kernel and hectolitre weights were highest under D3S1, reaching 49.6 g and 77.8 kg hl(-1), respectively. Soil salinity increased steadily with increasing GWS at all GWD conditions, and higher soil salinity values were observed at 30 cm GWD. In addition, controlling a groundwater depth at 80 cm with 8.0 dSm(-1) GWS did not significantly increase soil salinity, which did not result in high grain yield losses. Finally, it is recommended to control groundwater at a constant depth of 80 cm with 0.38 dSm(-1) GWS after the tillering period of winter wheat to save more irrigation water, control soil salinity and improve yield and grain quality in the region with shallow-saline groundwater.

Bu çalışmada, şeker mısırı bitkilerinin 3 farklı taban suyu derinliği (30 (D1), 55 (D2) ve 80 (D3) cm) ve 3 farklı taban suyu tuzluluğu (0.38 (T1), 5 (T2) ve 10 (T3) dS m-1) koşullarında büyüme performanslarının belirlenmesi amaçlanmıştır. Deneme, tesadüf blokları deneme desenine göre 3 tekerrürlü olarak yağmurdan korunaklı 120 m2’lik alanda drene edilebilir lizimetre koşullarında yürütülmüştür. Çalışma sonucunda, taban suyu derinliği arttıkça mutlak büyüme oranı, nispi büyüme hızı, net asimilasyon oranı, bitki büyüme hızı, özgül yaprak alanı ve oransal yaprak alanı artmıştır. Ancak, taban suyu tuzluluğu arttıkça şeker mısırı bitkilerinin büyüme performansları önemli derecede azalmıştır. Çalışmada, mutlak büyüme oranı 1.51-2.37 cm g-1, oransal yaprak alanı 69.48-90.96 cm2 g-1 ve net asimilasyon oranı 0.12-0.17 mg cm-2 g-1 arasında değişmiştir. En yüksek özgül yaprak ağırlığı değeri 215.69 cm2 g-1 ile D3 konusunda elde edilirken en düşük değer ise 200.07 cm2 g-1 ile D1 konusunda elde edilmiştir. En düşük bitki büyüme parametreleri değerleri D1×T3 , en yüksek değerler ise D2×T1 konusunda tespit edilmiştir. Bununla birlikte, taban suyu derinliği <55 cm’den daha az ve taban suyu tuzluluğu 5 dS m-1’den daha yüksek olan bölgelerde şeker mısırı bitkilerinin gelişiminin önemli derecede azaldığı belirlenmiştir. Buna göre, şeker mısırı bitkilerinin taban suyunun tuzlu ve 30 cm derinlikte olduğu koşullara karşı düşük toleransa sahip olduğu belirlenmiştir. Sonuç olarak, şeker mısırı için yüksek bitki büyüme performansı değerleri taban suyu derinliğinin 55 cm ve taban suyu tuzluluğunun 0.38 dS m-1 olduğu koşullarda gözlemlenmiştir.

Groundwater is contaminated by anthropogenic factors such as industry, domestic waste, and excessive fertilizers. Groundwater samples, which were obtained from 50 different wells in July 2020, were used in this study. Thirteen hydrochemical properties, including electrical conductivity (EC), pH, total dissolved solids (TDS), total hardness (TH), nitrate NO3−, anions, and cations were analyzed. Also, types of groundwater were investigated via the Piper diagram. The groundwater was also evaluated for irrigation suitability using the sodium percentage (Na

Food sustainability is continuously restricted by water shortage and poor water quality in water-scarce regions. In this study, a pot experiment was carried out under rain shelter conditions to quantify the impact of the different levels of water salinity on the yield, leaf nutrients, and growth traits of garden cress under different water-deficit levels. Twelve treatments included three water-deficit (WD) levels (I-0, I-1, and I-2 indicating 100, 80, and 60% of field capacity, respectively) in combination with four saline irrigation water levels (IWS) (S-1, S-2, S-3, and S-4, indicating 0.38, 2, 4, and 8 dSm(-1), respectively). Also, multiple linear regression analysis was performed to predict garden cress yield using WD, IWS, and soil salinity (ECe) parameters in different combinations. The results showed that yield, leaf area, stomata, chlorophyll content, leaf Ca2+, K+, K+/Na+, and Ca2+/Na+ markedly decreased under water deficit and water salinity interaction. The highest and lowest ECe values were observed at the I2S4 (8.67 dSm(-1)) and I0S1 (0.88 dSm(-1)) treatments. The highest yield was found at I0S1 (166.1 g pot(-1)), and it was 49.8% and 62.0% higher than I1S4 and I2S4 treatments. The developed models have R-2 larger than 0.92, showing that they could provide a valuable tool for evaluating and estimating the garden cress productivity under different WD and IWS conditions. Finally, we conclude that WD (80% of FC or lower) combined with a higher IWS of 0.38 dSm(-1) is not recommended for irrigating garden cress, which will cause considerable yield and commercial quality reduction of garden cress plants.