Salinity-Induced Physiological Changes in Pea (Pisum sativum L.): Germination Rate, Biomass Accumulation, Relative Water Content, Seedling Vigor and Salt Tolerance Index

Abstract

Salinity affects and limits the yield potential of pulse crops. Therefore, an experiment was conducted to evaluate the salinity-induced physiological response of field peas by estimating the germination rate (%), accumulation of biomass, relative water content, and seedling vigor and salt tolerance index. The treatments included four salinity levels (NaCl) (i.e., 0 (control), 8, 12, and 16 dS m−1, respectively) and eight field pea genotypes (i.e., BD4175, BD4182, BD4225, BD6944, BD4176, BD4193, BD4493, and BD4496). All treatments were arranged in a factorial completely randomized design and repeated four times. Results indicated that the percentage and rate of germination, percentage reduction of fresh and dry weight, relative water content, seedling vigor index, and salt tolerant index of all genotypes of field peas were influenced significantly by the different levels of salinity. The radicle and plumule of all field pea genotypes were damaged by applying 12 and 16 dS m−1 salt stress. However, among these eight pea genotypes, two genotypes, namely BD4175 and BD4225, performed better under the 8 dS m−1 level of salinity and these two genotypes may be recommended for cultivation in field conditions of saline coastal areas of Bangladesh, and can also be used in future breeding programs for the development of salt-tolerant pea cultivars.

Impact of two Erwinia sp. on the response of diverse Pisum sativum genotypes under salt stress

“…In previous works, P. sativum plants inoculated with different isolates belonging to Bacillus or Pseudomonas showed an up-regulation of the genes coding for several antioxidant enzymes in comparison to uninoculated salt-stressed plants (Gupta et al 2021a ; Sofy et al 2021 ). Here, inconsistent up-regulation of PsCAT and PsSOD was detected under salt stress/bacterial treatments in genotypes Lincoln and Meraviglia d’Italia, while PsCHL A/B was down-regulated or not significant regulated, suggesting a diverse response to salt stress tolerance among pea genotypes, as already reported (El-Esawi et al 2018 ; Khan et al 2022 ). Correlating the gene expression and biochemical data, the highest number of significant correlations was detected in the two genotypes employed in Tunisia.…”

Building the Resilience of Marginal Rural Areas Using a Complementary Characterization Approach: Possible Beneficial Health Effects and Stress Tolerance of Italian Common Bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) Landraces

“…The SMR landrace also showed better performance than CV and FDA at the plant stage. Indeed, salt stress applied for 15 days had a negligible impact on the biomass accumulation in the roots and leaves of SMR plants, despite leading to a reduction in the leaf relative water content, an important indicator of plant water status [79]. It is argued that, under salinity stress conditions, plants decrease the hydraulic conductance of their roots to retain water and prevent its loss to salty soil.…”

Comparative Analysis of Antioxidant System and Salt-Stress Tolerance in Two Hibiscus Cultivars Exposed to NaCl Toxicity

“…Once a plant accumulates Na + in the branches and is poisoned by Na + , the most obvious symptoms are wilting, yellowing, and shedding of leaves, and even death of the plant [ 30 ]. Plant salt tolerance is a complex biological phenomenon involving a variety of physiological and biochemical pathways [ 31 ]. It is of interest to study the tolerance and physiological mechanisms of two hibiscus cultivars in response to salt stress.…”