Peanut ( Arachis hypogaea L.) S‐adenosylmethionine decarboxylase confers transgenic tobacco with elevated tolerance to salt stress

The present study was accomplished to find out the effects of salinity on germination, growth, physiological and biochemical processes of two different groundnuts (Arachis hypogaea L.), varieties viz., Dacca-1, and Zhinga groundnut. The experiments consisted of five salinity treatments viz., control (no salinity), 3, 6, 9, and 12dS/m during germination and vegetative stage of groundnut varieties. Results showed that germination percentage of both the groundnut varieties was significantly decreased with the increase of salt concentration. During the germination stage, maximum shoot and root length, shoot and root fresh weight and shoot and root dry weight of groundnut varieties were recorded from Zhinga groundnut variety at salt stress. The same result occurred during the vegetative stage of Dacca-1 variety while the Zhinga groundnut variety showed maximum parameters than Dacca-1. Fresh weight, as well as dry weight, of shoots and roots of both the groundnut varieties was also decreased with the increase of salt concentrations while leaf proline concentrations were increased among these varieties. Salinity caused significant (P<0.001) reduction in chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, and total chlorophyll content in both the genotypes. Between two genotypes, Zhinga groundnut recorded higher chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b and total chlorophyll content than Dacca-1. From the studies, it is concluded that the groundnut genotype Zhinga was identified as the tolerant genotype to salt stress than Dacca-1. Overall results indicate that high salinity condition is not suitable for growing the groundnut.

Download Full-text

Changes in plant growth, leaf relative water content and physiological traits in response to salt stress in peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) varieties

Notulae Botanicae Horti Agrobotanici Cluj-Napoca ◽

10.15835/nbha49112049 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 49 (1) ◽

pp. 12049

Author(s):

Tekam L. MEGUEKAM ◽

Dany P. MOUALEU ◽

Victor D. TAFFOUO ◽

Hartmut STÜTZEL

Keyword(s):

Salt Stress ◽

Plant Growth ◽

Water Content ◽

Arachis Hypogaea ◽

Relative Water Content ◽

Physiological Traits ◽

Salt Tolerant ◽

Arachis Hypogaea L ◽

Relative Water ◽

Leaf Relative Water Content

Salinity is the main environmental factor accountable for decreasing crop productivity worldwide. The effects of NaCl salinity on plant growth (leaf relative water content (RWC), leaf dry weight (LDW), shoot length (SL), number of leaves (NL), number of branches (NB) and total leaf area (TLA) and physiological characteristics (stomatal conductance (gs), transpiration rate (TR), net photosynthetic (Pn), yield of photosystem II (ΦPsII) and the intercellular CO2 concentration (CO2int) in peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) varieties (‘Vanda’, ‘P244601’ and ‘Pl184948’, widely used in Cameroon, Tanzania and Ghana, respectively, were investigated under hydroponic condition. Plants were subjected to four levels of NaCl (0, 40, 80 and 120 mM) at early seedling growth stage of plant development. Application of NaCl treatment led to a significant decrease in LDW, SL, NL, TLA, Pn, gs, TR and CO2int concentration of ‘Vanda’ and ‘P244601’ compared to untreated plants while the plant growth inhibition was notably noted at 120 mM NaCl in ‘P1184948’ for LDW, SL and NB. The highest depressive effect was detected in gs of salt-sensitive ‘Vanda’ while the lowest were recorded in gs of salt-tolerant ‘P1184948’ at high salinity level. Enhanced NaCl concentrations led to a significant increase in ΦPSII of ‘P1184948’ compared to ‘Vanda’, ‘P244601’ and untreated plants. Leaf CHL content was significantly increased in moderately-tolerant ‘‘P244601’ and salt-tolerant ‘P1184948’ at 80 mM NaCl compared to salt sensitive ‘Vanda’ and untreated plants. The depressive effect of salt on RWC was recorded at 120 mM NaCl in peanut leaves of all varieties. Under salt stress ‘P1184948’ was observed to have relatively higher tolerance on average of all growth and physiological traits than ‘Vanda’ and P244601’ suggesting that it could be grown in salt-affected soils.

Download Full-text