Salinity is a major limiting factor in the production of horticultural products, especially in hydroponic cultivation systems. This study aimed to investigate the effects of selenium (Se) and iodine (I) in mitigating salinity stress damage in strawberry plants of the ‘Kurdistan’ cultivar. Accordingly, a factorial experiment was conducted in a completely randomized design with two salinity levels (no salinity and 40 mM NaCl) and four fertilizer treatments, including control, Se (1 mg L-1 in nutrient solution), I (1 µM as a foliar spray), and combined application of Se and I (Se+I), with four replications at Shiraz University. The results showed that salinity stress reduced growth, yield, and fruit quality parameters, whereas the use of Se and I improved these traits. Under salinity stress, the combined application of Se+I increased shoot fresh weight (34.37 g) and shoot dry weight (9.87 g) by 28% and 14%, respectively, compared to the control. In addition, primary fruit weight (7.30 g), secondary fruit weight (6.50 g), and total yield (36 g) increased under salinity stress, whereas application of Se+I increased them by 46%, 71%, and 39%, respectively, compared to no application. Furthermore, the combined application of Se+I increased total soluble solids (8.82 %), titratable acidity (1.06 %), vitamin C (99.5 mg/100g fresh weight), total phenols (5.76 mg Gallic acid/g), and anthocyanins (92.23 mg ciyanidin-3-glocoside/100g fruit) by 13%, 53%, 27%, 9%, and 41%, respectively, under salt stress compared to no application. The results of this study indicate that the combined application of Se and I can be used as a suitable strategy to increase salt tolerance and improve the growth, yield, and fruit quality traits of strawberries in hydroponic cultivation systems.
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