Abstract
BACKGROUND: This research aimed to improve heat shock tolerance and survival rates of strawberry Camarosa and Paros cultivars using salicylic acid (SA) for off-season cultivation in subtropical climates under greenhouse conditions. A factorial experiment conducted with two SA concentrations (0 and 1 mM), two temperature treatments including control (20/25 ºC -night/day) and heat shock (42 °C for eight hours), and four replications in a completely randomized design. RESULTS: Our results indicated that heat shock significantly decreased shoot fresh weight and root dry weight by 19 and 17% in Paros cultivar. Additionally, it reduced leaf area, root fresh weight, relative water content (RWC), chlorophyll b, and carotenoid levels in both cultivars. While it significantly increased proline content by 66%, leaf numbers by 26% root dry weight by17% in Camarosa, and SOD activity by 37 and 33%, and TPC by 32 and 38% in Paros and Camarosa, respectively. SA under heat shock yielded mixed results; it mitigated RWC reduction in Paros, and enhanced TPC content, activities of SOD and APX in the both cultivar, and increased activities of POD, in Camarosa. CONCLUSIONS: In summary, this study highlights cultivar-specific responses to heat shock and SA, emphasizing potential strategies to enhance strawberry tolerance and optimize agricultural practices under changing climatic conditions. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12870-025-07108-2.