Wild edible plant Urospermum picroides as a sustainable cultivation in saline soils growing under different irrigation and fertilization regimes

Aims Native edible plants such as Urospermum picroides (L.) have a long tradition in the Cretan diet. Their adaptation to demanding local environments makes them promising low-input alternative crops, aligned with economic, environmental, and climatic challenges. Accordingly, this study evaluated U. picroides performance under varying salinity, fertilization, and irrigation regimes, focusing on key physiological and agronomic characteristics. Methods A pot-based experiment was conducted to investigate the response of U. picroides to different irrigation water salinity levels (< 1, 2, 4, and 8 mS/cm), irrigation regimes (40 and 80% of water holding capacity (WHC)), and fertilization treatments (with vs without inorganic fertilizers). The study focused on plant growth, fresh biomass production, physiology (Fv/Fm and SPAD measurements), and micro- and macronutrient uptake characteristics. Results Salinity had little effect on plant height, leaf number, or fresh biomass, while biomass increased with higher irrigation and was unaffected by fertilization. All factors, and their interactions, showed no significant effects on physiological parameters (Fv/Fm, SPAD). Nutrient concentrations were largely unaffected by salinity, except for increased sodium and copper uptake. Irrigation and fertilization had no significant effects on nutrient content, except for higher nitrogen and magnesium at the highest irrigation level. Conclusions Overall, our findings highlight the strong potential of U. picroides as an alternative, low-input crop, supporting objectives related to climate adaptation, biodiversity conservation, and sustainable resource management in vulnerable environments. Further research, including field-scale trials under diverse soils, environments, and abiotic stresses, is needed to confirm long-term crop performance and benefits for resources and local communities.