Soil salinity is one of the major environmental stresses limiting agricultural productivity.
High salt concentrations make it more difficult for roots to obtain water, disrupt mineral nutrition, interfere with photosynthesis and expose plant cells to damaging concentrations of sodium and chloride.
Trehalose is attracting substantial interest as a way of helping crops maintain normal physiological function under these conditions.
A 2026 systematic review and meta-analysis identified 15 separate studies of externally applied trehalose under salinity stress, making salinity one of the best-researched agricultural applications of trehalose.[1]
Across tomato, maize, rice, wheat and other crops, studies show effects on water status, sodium and potassium balance, photosynthesis, antioxidant defence, osmotic adjustment, root development and plant growth.[1–11]
For growers, agricultural formulators and crop researchers, this makes trehalose a promising ingredient for developing crops and formulations designed for saline growing conditions.
How Salinity Damages Crops
Salinity challenges plants in two closely related ways.
First, dissolved salts around the roots make it harder for the plant to extract water. Crops can therefore experience physiological water stress even when moisture remains present in the soil.
Second, excessive sodium and chloride can disrupt normal cellular function.
The effects can include:
- reduced water uptake
- disrupted potassium nutrition
- impaired photosynthesis
- oxidative stress
- membrane damage
- reduced root and shoot growth
- poorer plant establishment
- lower productivity.
Maintaining water status while controlling sodium and preserving essential nutrients such as potassium is therefore central to crop performance in saline environments.
Trehalose research increasingly shows effects on both sides of this challenge.
What Does the Research Show?
The broadest evidence comes from a 2026 meta-analysis of externally applied trehalose under abiotic stress.[1]
Researchers screened 659 publications and identified 52 eligible studies, including 15 involving salinity.
Across the evidence base, trehalose treatment produced significant improvements in measures including:
- plant water status
- chlorophyll
- photosystem efficiency
- gas exchange
- antioxidant activity
- osmolyte accumulation
- root and shoot growth
- plant height
- leaf area
- grain yield.[1]
Trehalose treatment was also associated with lower hydrogen peroxide accumulation, lipid peroxidation and membrane permeability — all important indicators of cellular stress and damage.[1]
A dedicated 2025 review of trehalose under salinity reached a similar conclusion, identifying osmotic regulation, antioxidant defence, photosynthetic protection, membrane stability, ion regulation and plant signalling as major components of the response.[2]
Together, these studies provide a strong foundation for developing trehalose-based applications for salt-stressed crops.
Helping Plants Maintain Sodium and Potassium Balance
One of the most commercially interesting findings is trehalose's effect on mineral-ion regulation.
Plants require potassium for processes including:
- enzyme activity
- protein synthesis
- photosynthesis
- stomatal regulation
- osmotic control
- transport of metabolites.
Under salinity, excessive sodium can interfere with potassium uptake and transport.
Research in tomato has shown that externally applied trehalose can help restore a more favourable potassium-to-sodium balance.[3,4]
In one study, tomato plants exposed to 150 mM sodium chloride and treated with 10 mM trehalose showed improved potassium selectivity and changes in genes involved in sodium and potassium transport.[3]
Trehalose also influenced the distribution of calcium, magnesium, iron, manganese, zinc and copper.[3]
This is important because effective salt tolerance requires more than maintaining water.
The plant also needs to preserve the mineral balance required for normal growth.
Tomato: Growth, Ion Balance and Photosynthesis
Tomato provides some of the clearest mechanistic evidence for trehalose under salinity.
Salt-stressed plants showed reduced growth, increased sodium, lower potassium, oxidative damage and impaired photosynthesis.[4]
Trehalose treatment improved:
- plant biomass
- potassium status
- potassium-to-sodium balance
- photosynthetic performance
- antioxidant-enzyme activity.[3,4]
At the same time, reactive oxygen species and indicators of membrane damage were reduced.[4]
Researchers also found changes in the plant's own trehalose metabolism and stress-signalling pathways.
This suggests that externally applied trehalose can influence the crop's physiological response to salinity rather than functioning solely as a passive protective compound.
Protecting Photosynthesis
Photosynthesis is particularly vulnerable to salinity.
Salt stress can cause stomata to close, damage chlorophyll and chloroplasts, interfere with electron transport and reduce the efficiency with which plants convert carbon dioxide into biomass.
Trehalose has been shown to help protect several parts of this system.
In tomato, treatment improved:
- net photosynthetic performance
- chloroplast function
- photosynthetic electron transport
- activity of important Calvin-cycle enzymes.[3]
The 2025 salinity review also identifies protection of chloroplast structures, photosystems and photosynthetic enzymes as an important feature of trehalose-mediated salt tolerance.[2]
For commercial crop production, maintaining photosynthesis matters because it connects cellular stress protection directly with continued growth.
Strengthening Antioxidant Defence
Salt stress can cause excessive accumulation of reactive oxygen species such as hydrogen peroxide and superoxide radicals.
At high concentrations, these molecules damage membranes, proteins, chloroplasts and other cellular structures.
Trehalose treatment has repeatedly been associated with stronger antioxidant defence under salinity.[1,2,4–11]
In tomato, trehalose increased the activity of enzymes including:
- superoxide dismutase
- peroxidase
- catalase.[4]
Similar responses have been reported in maize, rice and wheat.[5–11]
Trehalose-treated plants have also shown reductions in:
- hydrogen peroxide
- lipid peroxidation
- malondialdehyde
- membrane damage.[1,4–11]
Antioxidant regulation is therefore one of the most consistent findings across the salinity literature.
Maize: Improving Growth and the Root Environment
Research in maize extends the evidence into one of the world's most important cereal crops.
A 2024 study combining physiological measurements with transcriptomic analysis found that trehalose improved maize biomass, antioxidant activity and photosynthetic performance under salt stress.[5]
Treatment also reduced hydrogen peroxide accumulation and improved the sodium-to-potassium balance.
Researchers observed increased secretion of organic acids from the roots, suggesting that trehalose may also influence the immediate environment surrounding the root system.[5]
At the molecular level, treatment affected pathways associated with:
- photosynthesis
- abscisic-acid signalling
- sugar metabolism.[5]
A separate maize study using 10 mM trehalose under 150 mM sodium chloride similarly reported improved growth and antioxidant activity alongside lower oxidative damage and improved sodium-to-potassium balance.[6]
These findings make maize an important example of trehalose supporting both above-ground physiology and root-level responses to salinity.
Rice: From Controlled Studies to Saline Fields
Rice is highly sensitive to salt stress and has consequently become another important crop in trehalose research.
In one study, rice seeds were treated with 25 mM trehalose before exposure to saline conditions.[7]
Trehalose helped maintain photosynthetic pigments, supported osmotic adjustment and increased antioxidant-enzyme activity.[7]
A 2023 study involving three lowland rice varieties also demonstrated physiological and agronomic responses to foliar trehalose under increasing salinity.[8]
The evidence has now moved into field conditions.
Trials conducted on saline soils in Egypt during the 2024 and 2025 growing seasons found that foliar trehalose increased relative water content while substantially reducing hydrogen-peroxide accumulation.[10]
This progression from controlled experiments towards field evaluation is particularly important for the commercial development of agricultural trehalose.
Wheat: Supporting Growth Under Saline Irrigation
Wheat has also shown positive responses.
In one study, wheat grown under saline irrigation was treated with 10 or 50 mM trehalose.[9]
Salt stress reduced growth while increasing hydrogen peroxide, lipid peroxidation and other indicators of oxidative stress.
Trehalose treatment improved growth measurements, reduced oxidative damage and increased soluble sugars and other compounds involved in osmotic adjustment.[9]
More recent work using trehalose seed pretreatment has similarly demonstrated reductions in salt-induced lipid peroxidation alongside changes in antioxidant and secondary-metabolite responses.[11]
The wheat literature therefore reinforces the mechanisms observed in tomato, maize and rice.
Helping Plants Maintain Water Balance
At the cellular level, salinity shares an important feature with drought: water becomes harder for the plant to obtain.
Plants respond by accumulating compatible solutes that help retain water and maintain cellular function.
These include compounds such as:
- soluble sugars
- proline
- glycine betaine
- amino acids
- trehalose.
Externally applied trehalose can contribute to this osmotic response while also influencing the production and metabolism of other protective compounds.[2,4,7,9]
This overlap helps explain why trehalose has generated substantial interest in both salinity and drought research.
For the wider evidence on water stress, see Trehalose for Drought & Water Stress in Plants →.
Roots and the Rhizosphere
Roots are the first plant tissues exposed to saline soil, making root responses particularly important.
Recent research has associated trehalose treatment with:
- improved root growth
- lower sodium-to-potassium ratios
- increased root antioxidant activity
- altered organic-acid secretion
- changes in root metabolic pathways.[5]
These findings raise particularly interesting opportunities for agricultural formulations designed around root-zone or early-establishment performance.
Trehalose is also being studied in seed treatments and biological coatings, where the compound can be positioned close to the developing root from the beginning of crop establishment.
See Trehalose in Seed Treatments & Coatings →.
Trehalose and Plant Stress Signalling
Trehalose is not simply an osmotic protectant.
Research increasingly links trehalose with plant signalling pathways involved in responses to environmental stress.
One important example is abscisic acid, or ABA.
ABA helps regulate:
- stomatal behaviour
- water conservation
- root development
- ion transport
- expression of stress-response genes.
Transcriptomic research in maize found that externally applied trehalose affected genes associated with ABA signalling during salinity stress.[5]
The broader salinity literature also identifies interactions between trehalose metabolism, carbohydrate signalling and plant stress responses.[2]
This helps explain why trehalose can produce effects across several physiological systems simultaneously.
How Is Trehalose Applied?
Research has investigated several application routes.
Foliar Application
Trehalose solution is applied directly to the leaves.
This is the most frequently studied approach across the wider agricultural literature and has been used extensively in tomato, maize, rice and wheat studies.[1,3–6,8–10]
Seed Treatment
Seeds can be soaked or primed with trehalose before planting.
This approach has been investigated in crops including rice and wheat.[7,11]
For more on this application, see Trehalose in Seed Treatments & Coatings →.
Root and Nutrient-Solution Application
Trehalose can also be supplied through the root environment, particularly in controlled and hydroponic research.
Each route creates different opportunities for agricultural formulation and product development.
How Much Trehalose Is Used?
Published salinity research has investigated a range of concentrations.
| Crop | Example trehalose treatment |
|---|---|
| Tomato | 5–25 mM |
| Maize | Around 10 mM in several studies |
| Rice | 25 mM seed treatment in one study |
| Wheat | 10–50 mM foliar treatment |
These research protocols provide useful starting points for formulation and crop trials.[3–9]
The most effective treatment will depend on factors including:
- crop species
- cultivar
- growth stage
- salinity level
- application method
- timing
- frequency
- formulation.
Tomato research illustrates the value of optimisation particularly well: under the conditions tested, an intermediate 10 mM treatment performed better overall than the highest concentration investigated.[4]
For agricultural developers, this creates scope to tailor trehalose treatments to specific crops and growing systems.
Can Trehalose Support Crop Growth Under Salinity?
The evidence increasingly indicates that it can.
Across tomato, maize, rice and wheat, trehalose-treated plants have shown improvements in measures including:
- shoot growth
- root development
- biomass
- leaf area
- chlorophyll
- water status
- photosynthetic performance.[3–11]
The 2026 meta-analysis also found significant positive overall effects on major plant-growth and productivity measures.[1]
The commercial objective is straightforward: where salinity is restricting crop performance, trehalose offers a potential way to help the plant maintain more of its normal physiological function.
The Opportunity for Saline Agriculture
Trehalose is particularly attractive because it addresses several components of salt stress simultaneously.
The strongest recurring effects in the research include:
Ion Homeostasis
Helping plants maintain a more favourable balance between potassium and sodium.
Photosynthetic Protection
Supporting chloroplast function, photosystems and carbon assimilation.
Antioxidant Defence
Strengthening the systems plants use to control damaging reactive oxygen species.
Osmotic Adjustment
Helping maintain water relations and compatible-solute metabolism.
Membrane Protection
Reducing oxidative and structural cellular damage.
Root Performance
Supporting root development and influencing root-level responses to saline conditions.
Plant Growth
Reducing some of the growth suppression normally associated with salinity.
This multi-pathway response provides a strong biological basis for developing trehalose as an ingredient in plant-biostimulant and crop-stress formulations.
Trehalose Is Already Being Developed for Agricultural Use
Agricultural trehalose is moving beyond experimental research.
NAGASE identifies trehalose for agricultural applications including plant biostimulants, seed coatings, microbial inoculants and biological formulations, with salinity among the abiotic stresses relevant to its plant-performance applications.[12] NAGASE | Europe
For formulators and agricultural technology businesses, this creates opportunities across:
- crop-stress formulations
- foliar biostimulants
- seed treatments
- biological agricultural products
- microbial inoculants
- research and crop-development programmes.
NAGASE agricultural information →
Developing Trehalose Applications for Saline Crops
Trehalose UK is expanding its support for agricultural and plant-science applications of genuine Japanese trehalose.
We welcome enquiries from:
- growers
- agronomists
- plant-biostimulant manufacturers
- agricultural formulators
- crop researchers
- universities
- agricultural biotechnology companies
- businesses developing products for saline and drought-affected agriculture.
We can support projects from research and formulation quantities through to larger commercial requirements.
If you are investigating trehalose for salt-stress management, plant-biostimulant development or crop trials, contact us to discuss your application and supply requirements.
Further Reading
Trehalose in Agriculture: Uses, Benefits & Research →
Trehalose for Drought & Water Stress in Plants →
Trehalose in Seed Treatments & Coatings →
Agriculture & Plant Science Guides →
References & Further Reading
[1] Adrielle Cristine Domingos Adão, Antônio Rodrigues da Cunha Neto, Marina Wolowski, and Thiago Corrêa de Souza. 2026. “Exogenous Trehalose Mitigates Abiotic Stress in Plants by Improving Morphophysiology: A Meta-Analysis.” Journal of Crop Science and Biotechnology 29: 547–565. DOI: 10.1007/s12892-026-00355-1. Systematic review and meta-analysis of 52 studies, including 15 involving salinity stress. DOI
Read the study →
[2] Ehab A. Ibrahim. 2025. “Trehalose and Its Role in Plant Adaptation to Salinity Stress.” Plant Science 357: 112533. DOI: 10.1016/j.plantsci.2025.112533. Review of trehalose metabolism, osmotic regulation, antioxidant defence, photosynthesis, ion homeostasis and signalling under salinity. ScienceDirect
Read the review →
[3] Yan Yang, Jianming Xie, Jing Li, et al. 2022. “Trehalose Alleviates Salt Tolerance by Improving Photosynthetic Performance and Maintaining Mineral Ion Homeostasis in Tomato Plants.” Frontiers in Plant Science 13: 974507. DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2022.974507. Frontiers
Read the study →
[4] Yan Yang, Yandong Yao, Jing Li, et al. 2022. “Trehalose Alleviated Salt Stress in Tomato by Regulating ROS Metabolism, Photosynthesis, Osmolyte Synthesis, and Trehalose Metabolic Pathways.” Frontiers in Plant Science 13: 772948. DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2022.772948. Frontiers
Read the study →
[5] Jingyi He and Hongliang Tang. 2024. “Combined Physiological and Transcriptomic Analyses of the Effects of Exogenous Trehalose on Salt Tolerance in Maize (Zea mays L.).” Plants 13, no. 24: 3506.
[6] Md. Motiar Rohman et al. 2019. “Trehalose Protects Maize Plants from Salt Stress and Phosphorus Deficiency.” Plants 8, no. 12: 568. DOI: 10.3390/plants8120568. MDPI
Read the study →
[7] M. M.-S. Abdallah, Z. A. Abdelgawad, and H. M. S. El-Bassiouny. 2016. “Alleviation of the Adverse Effects of Salinity Stress Using Trehalose in Two Rice Varieties.” South African Journal of Botany 103: 275–282. DOI: 10.1016/j.sajb.2015.09.019. ScienceDirect
Read the study →
[8] Felisberto Amaral Soares et al. 2023. “Exogenous Trehalose Application in Rice to Mitigate Saline Stress at the Tillering Stage.” Pesquisa Agropecuária Tropical 53: e75695. DOI: 10.1590/1983-40632023v5375695. SciELO
Read the study →
[9] Mervat Sh. Sadak. 2019. “Physiological Role of Trehalose on Enhancing Salinity Tolerance of Wheat Plant.” Bulletin of the National Research Centre 43: 53. DOI: 10.1186/s42269-019-0098-6. ResearchGate
Read the study →
[10] Amira Okasha, M. Negm, Dalia El-Sharnobi, and B. Zayed. 2026. “Effect of Trehalose Exogenous Application on Physiological Traits, Productivity and Grain Quality of Some Rice Genotypes under Salinity Stress.” Field trials conducted under saline-soil conditions during the 2024 and 2025 growing seasons. FAO AGRIS
View the FAO AGRIS record →
[11] Abdulrahman M. Alhudhaibi et al. 2024. “Enhancing Salt Stress Tolerance in Wheat (Triticum aestivum) Seedlings: Insights from Trehalose and Mannitol.” BMC Plant Biology 24: 472. DOI: 10.1186/s12870-024-04964-2. Springer
Read the study →
[12] NAGASE Europe. “Trehalose for Agriculture.” Manufacturer information covering trehalose for plant biostimulants, seed coatings, microbial inoculants and biological formulations. NAGASE | Europe
NAGASE agricultural information →