Salt Stress Delayed Flowering and Reduced Reproductive Success of Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.), A Response Associated with Na⁺ Accumulation in Leaves

Abstract

Salinity is known to reduce chickpea yields in several regions of the world. Although ion toxicity associated with salinity leads to yield reductions in a number of other crops, its role in reducing yields in chickpea growing in saline soils is unclear. The purpose of this study was to (i) identify the phenological and yield parameters associated with salt stress tolerance and sensitivity in chickpea and (ii) identify any pattern of tissue ion accumulation that could relate to salt tolerance of chickpea exposed to saline soil in an outdoor pot experiment. Fourteen genotypes of chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) were used to study yield parameters, of which eight were selected for ion analysis after being grown in soil treated with 0 and 80 mM NaCl. Salinity delayed flowering and the delay was greater in sensitive than tolerant genotypes under salt stress. Filled pod and seed numbers, but not seed size, were associated with seed yield in saline conditions, suggesting that salinity impaired reproductive success more in sensitive than tolerant lines. Of the various tissues measured for concentrations of Cl À , Na + and K + , higher seed yields in saline conditions were positively correlated with higher K + concentration in seeds at the mid-filling stage (R 2 = 0.55), a higher K + /Na + ratio in the laminae of fully expanded young leaves (R 2 = 0.50), a lower Na + concentration in old green leaves (R 2 = 0.50) and a higher Cl À concentration in mature seeds. The delay in flowering was associated with higher concentrations of Na + in the laminae of fully expanded young leaves (R 2 = 0.61) and old green leaves (R 2 = 0.51). We conclude that although none of the ions appeared to have any toxic effect, Na + accumulation in leaves was associated with delayed flowering that in turn could have played a role in the lower reproductive success in the sensitive lines.

Silicon nutrition and mycorrhizal inoculations improve growth, nutrient status, K+/Na+ ratio and yield of Cicer arietinum L. genotypes under salinity stress

“…In order to survive under salt stress conditions, plants tend to accelerate the vegetative phase and enter into reproductive phase i.e. flowering and podding (Pushpavalli et al 2015). In contrast, in the present study, a delayed in flowering, hence in pod formation was observed under salt stress in both the genotypes.…”

“…In contrast, in the present study, a delayed in flowering, hence in pod formation was observed under salt stress in both the genotypes. Reduction in pod number could be associated with the salt-induced negative effects on nutrient contents and/or on sucrose metabolism which might have reduced the activities of apoplastic and cytoplasmic sucrose cleaving enzymes (Pushpavalli et al 2015). They further correlated decline in seed yield with filled pod and seed number but not with seed size.…”

Soil drenching of paclobutrazol: An efficient way to improve quinoa performance under salinity

“…; Ramesh et al , Borrás et al , Betzelberger et al ). Some examples of such association between physiological and ionic traits are seen with grain yield in wheat (Zhu et al ) and also in chickpea under salinity (Pushpavalli et al ). Nevertheless, this is the first study demonstrating the potential of gaseous exchange (P net , E, gs), oxidative damages, (H 2 O 2 , O 2 •‐ , MDA), antioxidants (AsA, PPO, PAL, GPX) and ionic (Na + , Cl − , K + , Mg 2+ , Ca 2+ , SO 4 2− ) variables of root and leaves to elucidate the quinoa yield variations when grown under high salt‐stressed conditions with or without soil drenching of PBZ.…”

Comparative photochemistry activity and antioxidant responses in male and female Populus cathayana cuttings inoculated with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi under salt

“…As has been documented extensively, it is essential for plants to maintain low concentrations of toxic ions in leaves to grow and survive under salt stress. It has been found that many plants, e.g., Populus euphratica 50, Cicer arietinum L51 and Jatropha curcas 52, can effectively prevent Na + and Cl − uptake under salt stress. In our study, under saline conditions, the Na + concentrations in the shoots of male plants were significantly lower than those in the roots, indicating the efficient inhibition of root-shoot Na + transport in males.…”