405 Glycinebetaine Accumulation in Red Beet under Salinity
Accumulation of glycinebetaine occurs in Chenopodiaceae members and is thought to assist in osmotic adjustment and protect cytoplasm from sodium toxicity. Red beet has an ability to tolerate high tissue sodium levels, which may result in increased glycinebetaine production. To test this hypothesis, two cultivars of red beet ['Scarlet Supreme' (SS) and `Ruby Queen' (RQ)] were grown under nonsaline (4.75 mM Na) and saline (54.75 mM Na) conditions in a recirculating hydroponic system for 42 days at elevated CO2 (1200 μmol•mol-1) in a growth chamber. Leaf glycinebetaine level, relative water content, and osmotic potential were measured at weekly intervals. Leaf glycinebetaine levels increased with plant age and reached a maximum of 67 μmol•g-1 dw under nonsaline and 101 μmol•g-1 dry weight (dw) under saline conditions at 42 days in SS; in RQ, the glycinebetaine levels reached a maximum of 91 μmol•g-1 dw under nonsaline and 121 μmol•g-1 dw under saline conditions by 26 days. The mean glycinebetaine levels were increased over two-thirds under saline conditions in both the cultivars. RQ accumulated significantly higher (37% more under nonsaline, and 46% more under salinity) glycinebetaine than SS. The turgid leaf osmotic potential of RQ was consistently higher than SS under nonsaline (2.23 MPa in RQ vs. 1.82 MPa in SS) and saline (2.48 MPa in RQ vs. 2.02 MPa in SS) conditions. The results indicate that higher glycinebetaine levels in the leaf could result in better osmotic adjustment, and glycinebetaine accumulation in red beet can vary among cultivars and is strongly affected by external salinity.