Aegilops spp. is the closest genus to wheat (Triticum spp.), which makes Aegilops great candidates to exhibit precursors of wheat features. Aegilops cylindrica Host displays excellent salt tolerance. In the current study, biochemical and phytochemical compounds in the leaves of two wheat cultivars, one hyper-salt tolerant Ae. cylindrica genotype and their amphidiploids (derived from “Chinese Spring” × Ae. cilindrica and “Roshan” × Ae. cylindrica), grown under control and saline field conditions, were assessed. These compounds included total protein content, proline content, electrolyte leakage, total flavonoid content, total phenolic content, DPPH radical scavenging activity, and reducing power. In addition, phenolic components were also identified using HPLC analysis. Chlorogenic acid, ellagic acid, ferulic acid, syringic acid, vanillic acid, p-coumaric acid, caffeic acid, and gallic acid were the most abundant phenolic acids. Luteolin, apigenin, and rutin were the most abundant flavonoids in the leaves. Salt stress significantly increased all biochemical variables, with the exceptions of reducing power and p-coumaric acid. Interestingly, amphidiploid genotypes exhibited intermediate levels of most of the detected phenolic compounds between the two parental species. As demonstrated by bivariate correlations luteolin, chlorogenic acid, caffeic acid and apigenin could predict inhibition percentage by DPPH assay, suggesting a possible role in the cellular defense against oxidative stress in wheat. The amphidiploids and their wild parent performed significantly better than wheat cultivars on phenolic constituents, flavonoids, and maintaining redox homeostasis under salt stress conditions.

Aegilops cylindrica Host is one of the most salt-tolerant species in the Triticeae tribe. Amphidiploid plants derived from hybridization of 'Roshan' × Aegilops cylindrica and 'Chinese Spring' × Ae. cylindrica genotypes contrasting in salt tolerance were assessed for their morpho-physiological responses and the expression patterns of three genes related to ion homeostasis under 250 mM NaCl. Results showed that salt stress caused significant declines in both their morphological and phenological traits. Moreover, salt stress reduced not only their chlorophyll content but also their root and shoot K contents and K/Na ratios, while it led to significant enhancements in the remaining traits. Similar to Ae. cylindrica, the amphidiploids subjected to salt stress exhibited significantly higher H2O2 levels, root and shoot K contents, and root and shoot K/Na ratios accompanied by lower root and shoot Na contents and MDA concentrations when compared with the same traits in the wheat parents. Quantitative Real-Time PCR showed significant differential expression patterns of the HKT1;5, NHX1, and SOS1 genes between the amphidiploids and their parents. The transcript level of HKT1;5 was found to be higher in the roots than in the shoots of both the amphidiploids and Ae. cylindrica while NHX1 exhibited a higher expression in the shoot tissues. The consistency of these data provides compelling support for the hypothesis that active exclusion of Na from the roots and elevated vacuolar sequestration of Na in the leaves might explain the declining Na levels in the shoots and roots of both the amphidiploids and Ae. cylindrica relative to those measured in wheat parents. It is concluded that the hybridized amphiploids are potentially valuable resources for salt improvement in bread wheat through the backcrossing approach.

Organic acids exuded from plant roots significantly modify uptake and long-distance translocation of metals. Little is known about the effect of amino acids on metal ion uptake by plant roots. The present study investigated the effects of exogenous amino acids (histidine and glycine) in a nutrient solution on root uptake and xylem sap transport of cadmium (Cd) in triticale (× Triticosecale cv. Elinor) and bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L. cv. Back Cross Rushan). Plant seedlings were grown in a Cd-free modified Hoagland nutrient solution to which 1 µm Cd was added with either 50 µm histidine or 50 µm glycine or without amino acids at 4 weeks after germination. A control treatment consisted of a nutrient solution free of Cd and amino acids. In bread wheat, addition of histidine to the Cd-containing nutrient solution resulted in a higher operationally defined symplastic Cd fraction but a lower apoplastic one in the roots. In triticale, addition of either amino acid decreased the symplastic Cd fraction but increased the apoplastic one. Addition of histidine to the nutrient solution increased Cd concentration in wheat xylem sap but had no significant effect on Cd concentration in triticale xylem sap. Compared with the Cd-only treatment, the glycine-containing treatment led to significantly reduced Cd concentrations in xylem sap of both plant species. Wheat plants supplied with histidine and Cd accumulated greater amounts of Cd in their shoots than those supplied with Cd alone. Glycine had no significant effects on the Cd content of wheat shoots but decreased it in triticale shoots. Results indicate that the effects of amino acids on plant root uptake and xylem sap translocation of Cd depend on the type of amino acid supplemented. This finding is of great importance for selecting and/or breeding cultivars with Cd-toxicity tolerance.

In semi-arid and arid regions, the selection of suitable grass species with high-yield production, tolerance to drought stress, and potential for recovery from drought is of special importance. Despite extensive research in cool-season grasses, inter-species differences in post-drought recovery, persistence, survival, and summer dormancy and their relationship with drought tolerance need more investigation. In the present study, 28 diverse genotypes belonged to seven cool-season grass species, including Festuca arundinacea (tall fescue), Festuca pratensis (meadow fescue), Festuca ovina (sheep fescue), Festuca rubra (red fescue), Lolium perenne (perennial ryegrass), Lolium multiflorum (Italian ryegrass) and Lolium × hybridum were evaluated during 2016–2019 under three irrigation regimes (normal, mild, and intense drought stress). Then in the fourth year (on August 2019), irrigation was withheld at all previous irrigation regimes for two months during summer, and then species were re-irrigated to study the effect of prolonged drought conditions. A wide range of genetic diversity was detected in all the measured traits among and within species in response to different irrigation levels. Recurrent drought stress decreased forage productivity, post-drought recovery, and survival in all grass species. Among the studied species, tall fescue had higher forage production, drought tolerance, survival, recovery rate, and persistence. Sheep fescue had low forage production and recovery after drought. Drought tolerance (based on stress tolerance score, STS) was highly associated with forage yield and post-drought recovery and partially with summer dormancy under both mild and intense drought stress conditions. This indicated that selection based on higher STS would lead to choosing genotypes with better recovery after prolonged drought. Superior species and preferable genotypes for forage use from species Festuca arundinacea and for turf application from species Festuca arundinacea, Lolium perenne and Lolium × hybridum were identified across different water environments for future programs.

In arid and semi-arid regions of the world, high temperature stress adversely affects growth and development of cool-season grasses during late spring and summer. Salicylic acid (SA) is one of the endogenous plant growth regulators that plays an important role in the regulation of plant growth and development in response to high temperature stress. The aim of the present study was to assess the effectiveness of SA in alleviating the negative effects of high temperature during the summer in different tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.) genotypes under field conditions. Twenty genotypes of tall fescue (selected from a broad native and exotic germplasm) were assessed at field condition for morphological and physiological characteristics during 2016 and 2017 under normal irrigation in the presence of two SA concentrations (0 and 1 mM). High temperature during the summer led to induction of incomplete summer dormancy and depression in summer forage yield. Application of SA decreased the adverse effects of high temperature stress by elevation of photosynthetic pigments, proline accumulation, and increasing nonenzyme and enzymatic antioxidant activities, and could therefore be used to enhance forage yield and heat tolerance in tall fescue genotypes. The genotypes exhibited obvious differences in their response to SA application under the semiarid climate conditions of central Iran. Among the studied genotypes, 3L and 1E were recognized as heat tolerant and stable genotypes that would be preferable for regions with high temperature.