The effect of salinity on some physiological and biochemical characteristics of alfalfa

Document Type : Research Paper

Abstract

To evaluate the effects of different concentrations of salinity (control and 12 dS m-1) on morphological and physiological aspects of 10 alfalfa cultivars, an experiment was conducted using a randomized complete block design with factorial treatments in three replications.The results showed that salinity stress significantly reduced dry matter, K+/Na+ ratio and shoot and root K+ concentrations. The sodium concentration of the plants increased with salinity stress, and the salt tolerant cultivars showed lesser sodium transfer into their tissues resulting in a higher shoot and root K+/Na+ ratio compared to susceptible cultivars. K+ concentration in shoot as well as shoot K+/Na+ ratio had significant positive correlations with shoot dry matter of 0.762**and 0.835** respectively. On the other hand there was a significant negative correlation between shoot dry matter and shoot Na+ concentration (-0.831)., showed the highest significant correlation with shoot dry matter. Therefore, it seems that among the traits studied, the Na+ concentration in the shoot may be considered as an appropriate indicator for selection of salt tolerant alfalfa cultivars. The observed negative correlation between sodium concentration and the chlorophyll content (-0.551) indicate that the plant metabolism has been adversely affected by salinity stress.

Keywords

Main Subjects

References

  1. Abrol, I. P., Yadav, J. S. P. & Massoud, F. I. (1988). Crops in Saline Soils in: Salt-Affected Soils and Theirmanagement. Fao Soils Bulletin. 39.
  2. Ashraf, M. (1989). The effect of NaCl on water relations, chlorophyll, and protein and proline contents of two cultivars of blackgram (Vigna mungo L.). Plant and Soil, 119(2), 205-210.
  3. Brown, J. W. & Hayward, H. E. (1956). Salt tolerance of alfalfa varieties. Agronomy Journal, 48, 18-20.
  4. Cavalanti, F. R., Lima, J. P., Silva, S. L., FViegas, R. A. & Silveira, J. A. (2007). Roots and Leaves Display Contrasting Oxidative Response during Salt Stress and Recovery in Cowpea. Journal of Plant Physiology, 164, 591- 600.
  5. Cuin, T. A., Tian, Y., Betts, S. A., Chalmandrier, R., Shabala, S. (2009). Ionic relations and osmotic adjustment in durum and bread wheat under saline conditions. Functional Plant Biology, 36(12), 1110-1119.
  6. Esechie, H. A. & Rodriguez, V. (1998). Does Salinity Inhibit Alfalfa Leaf Growth by Reducing Tissue Coccentration of Essential Mineral Nutrition?. Journal of Agronomy & Crop Science, 182, 237- 278.
  7. Chinnusamy, V., Jagendorf, A. & Zhu, J. K. (2005). Understanding and improving salt tolerance in plants. Crop Science, 45, 437-448.
  8. Davenport, R., James, R. A., Plogander, A. Z., Tester, M. & Munns, R. (2005). Control of Sodium Transport in Durum Wheat. Plant Physiology, 137, 807-818.
  9. FAO. (2005). Food and agriculture organization of the United Nations. Quarterly bulletin of statistics. Rome, Italy.
  10. Guillermo, E., Maria, S. & Epstein, E. (2000). Potassium.sodium selectivity in wheat and the amphiploid cross wheat × Lophopyrom elongatum. Plant Science, 160, 523-534.
  11. Flowers, T. J. (2004). Improving Crop Salt Tolerance. Journal of Experimental Botany, 55, 307-319.
  12. Ali, Y. Z., Aslam, M. Y., Ashraf, M. & Tahir, G. R. (2004). Effect of salinity on chlorophyll concentration, leaf area, yield and yield component of rice genotypes grown under saline environment. International Journal of Environmental Science and Technology, 1(3), 221-225.
  13. Goudarzi, M. & Pakniyat, H. (2009). Salinity Causes Increase in Proline and Protein Contents and Peroxidase Activity in Wheat Cultivars. Journal of Applied Sciences, 9(2), 348-353.
  14. Greenway, H. & Munns, R. (1980). Mechanisms of salt tolerance in nonhalophytes. Annual Review of Plant Biology, 31, 141-190.
  15. Gupta, S. & Srivastava, J. (1990). Effect of Salt Stress on Morpho Physiological Parameters in Wheat. Indian Journal of Plant Physiology, 32, 162-171.
  16. Heidari, M. & Jamshid, P. (2010). Interaction between salinity and potassium on grian yield, carbohydrate content and nutrient uptake in pearl millet. ARPN Journal of Agricultural and Biological Science, 5, 39-46.
  17. Homaee, M., Feddes, R. A. & Dirksen, C. (2002). A macroscopic water extraction model for non uniform transient salinity and water strees. American Journal of Soil Science Society, 66, 1764-1772.
  18. Asch, F., Dingkuhn, M. & Droffling, K. (2000). Salinity increases CO2 assimilation but reduces growth in field growth irrigated rice. Plant and Soil, 218, 1-10.
  19. Khan, M. A., Shirazi, M. U., Khan, M. A., Mujtaba, S. M., Islam, E., Mumtaz, S., Shereen, A., Ansari, R. U. & Ashraf, M. Y. (2009). Role of proline, K+/Na+ ratio and chlorophyll content in salt tolerance of wheat. Pakistan Journal of Botany, 41(2), 633-638.
  20. Marschner, P. (2011). Marschner's mineral nutrition of higher plants. Academic press.
  21. Meidner, H. (1984). Class experiment in plant physiology. Georg & Allen Union. London.
  22. Misra, N. & Saxena, P. (2009). Effect of salicylic acid on proline metabolism in lentil grown under salinity stress. Plant Science, 177(3), 181-189.
  23. Mohammadi, H., Poustini, K. & Ahmadi, A. (2008). Root Nitrogen Remobilization and Ion Status of Two Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) Cultivars in Response to Salinity Stress. Journal of Agronomy & Crop Science, 931- 2250.
  24. Ashraf, M. & Harris, P. J. (2004). Potential Biochemical Indicators on Salinity Tolerance in Plants. Plant Science, 166, 4-16.
  25. Munns, R., James, R. A. & Lauchli, A. (2006). Approaches to increasing the salt tolerance of wheat and other cereals. Journal of Experimental Botany, 57, 1025-1043.
  26. Munns, R. & Tester, M. (2008).  Mechanisms of salinity tolerance. Annual Reviewof Plant Biology, 59, 651-681.
  27. Munns, R. & Passioura, J. B. (1984). Effect of prolonged exposure to NaCl on the osmstic pressure of leaf xylem sap from intact, transpiring barley plants. Australian Journal of Plant Physiology, 11, 497-507.
  28. Munns, R. & James, R. A. (2003). Screening methods for salinity tolerance: a case study with tetraploid wheat. Plant and Soil, 253(1), 201-218.
  29. Moftah, A. E. & Michel, B. E. (1987). The effect of sodium chloride on solute potential and proline accumulation in soybean leaves. Plant Physiology, 83(2), 238.
  30. Mohammadi, H., Poustini, K. & Ahmadi, A. (2008). Root Nitrogen Remobilization and Ion Status of Two Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) Cultivars in Response to Salinity Stress. Journal of Agronomy & Crop Science, 931-2250.
  31. Munns, R. & James, R. A. (2003). Screening methods for salinity tolerance: a case study with tetraploid wheat. Plant and Soil, 253(1), 201-218.
  32. Poustini, K. & Siosemardeh, A. (2004). Ion Distribution in Wheat Cultivars in Response to Salinity Stress. Field Crops Research, 55, 125-133.
  33. Ashraf, M. & McNeilly, T. (2004). Salinity tolerance in Brassica oilseeds Critical Review. Plant Science, 23, 157- 174.
  34. Shannon, M. (1984). Breeding, selection, and the genetics of salt tolerance.
  35. Shannon, M. C. (1984). Breeding, selection, and the genetics of salt tolerance. In: Staples, R. C., Toenniessen GH: Salinity Tolerance in Plants. 231-254.
  36. Siddiqui, M. H. (2010). Nitrogen in Relation to Photosynthetic Capacity and Accumulation of Osmoprotectant and Nutrients in Brassica Genotypes Grown Under Salt Stress. Agricultural Sciences in China, 9(5), 671-680.
  37. Siddiqui, M. H. (2012). Cumulative effect of nitrogen and sulphur on Brassica juncea L. genotypes under NaCl stress. Protoplasma. 1-15.
  38. Sudhir, P. & Murthy, S. D. (2004). Effect of Salt Stress on Basic Processes of Photosynthesis. Photosynthetica, 42(4), 481-486.
  39. Summart, J., Thanonkeo, P., Panichajakul, S., Prathepha, P. & Mc Manse, M. T. (2010). Effect of salt sress on growth, inorganic ion and proline accumulation in Thai aromatic rice, Kaho Dawk Mail 105, Callus Culture. African Journal of Biotechnology, 9(2), 145- 152.
  40. Tal, M. & Shannon, M. (1983). Salt tolerance in the wild relatives of the cultivated tomato: Responses of Lycopersicon esculentum, L. cheesmanii, L. peruvianum, Solanum pennellii and F1 hybrids to high salinity. Functional Plant Biology, 10(1), 109-117.
  41. Turan, M. A., Elkiram, A. H. A., Taban, N. & Tban, S. (2009). Effect of salt stress on growth, stomatal resistance, proline and chlorophyll concentrations in maize plant. African Journal of Agricultural Research, 4(9), 893-897.
  42. Viera Santos, C. (2004). Regulation of chlorophyll biosynthesis and degradation by salt stress in sunflower leaves. Scientia Horticulturae, 103(1), 93-99.
  43. Asish Kumar, P. & Bandhu Das, A. (2005). Salt Tolerance and Salinity Effects on Plants: a review. Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety, 60, 324-349.
  44. Wang, X. S. & Han, J. G. (2009). Changes of proline content, activity, and active isoforms of antioxidative enzymes in two alfalfa cultivars under salt stress. Agricultural Sciences in China, 8(4), 431-440.
  45. Wang, Y., Yang, Z. M., Zhang, Q. F. & Li, J. L. (2009). Enhanced chilling tolerance in Zoysia matrella by pre-treatment with salicylic acid, calcium chloride, hydrogen peroxide or 6-benzylaminopurine. Biologia Plantarum, 53, 179-182
  46. Yarnia, M., Heydari, H., Sharif Abad, F. & Rahim Zadeh Khui. (2005). Effect of carbonat calcium on tolerance to salinity in alfalfa figures. Agroecological Journal (Journal in Agriculture Knowledge), 2, 9-21. (in Farsi)
  47. Zahid, P., Afzal, M. & Ancheny, Y. (2002). Selection Criteria for Salt Tolerance in Wheat Cultivars at Seeding Stage. Asian Journal of Plant Science, 2, 85-87.
  48. Rogers, M. E. (2001). The effect of saline irrigation on lucerne production: shoot and root growth, ion relations and flowering incidence in six cultivars grown in northern Victoria, Australia. Irrigation Science, 20(2), 55-64.
  49. Zhu, J. K. (2001). Plant salt tolerance. Trends in Plant Science, 6(2), 66-71.

 

 

 

 

 

Iranian Journal of Field Crop Science
Volume 49, Issue 1
June 2018
Pages 1-10

Files

History

  • Receive Date: 03 February 2016
  • Revise Date: 09 August 2016
  • Accept Date: 10 September 2016
  • Publish Date: 22 May 2018

Share

How to cite

Statistics