M Iftikhar Hussain1,2,3, Adele Muscolo4, Mukhtar Ahmed5,6, Muhammad Ahsan Asghar7, Abdullah J Al-Dakheel8. 1. International Center for Biosaline Agriculture (ICBA), Crop Diversification and Genetic Improvement Section, Dubai P.O. Box 14660, UAE. 2. Department of Plant Biology & Soil Science, Faculty of Biology, Campus As Lagoas Marcosende, University of Vigo, 36310 Vigo, Spain. 3. CITACA, Agri-Food Research and Transfer Cluster, Campus da Auga, University of Vigo, 32004 Ourense, Spain. 4. Department of Agriculture, Mediterranea University, Feo di Vito, 89122 Reggio Calabria, Italy. 5. Department of Agricultural Research for Northern Sweden, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, SE-901 83, Umea, Sweden. 6. Department of Agronomy, PMAS Arid Agriculture University, Rawalpindi 46000, Pakistan. 7. CAS Key Laboratory of Mountain Ecological Restoration and Bioresource Utilization & Ecological Restoration Biodiversity Conservation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu 610000, China. 8. Research Farms, United Arab Emirates University, Al-Ain P.O. Box 15551, UAE.
Abstract
Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) is a halophytic crop that shows resistance to multiple abiotic stresses, including salinity. In this study we investigated the salinity tolerance mechanisms of six contrasting quinoa cultivars belonging to the coastal region of Chile using agro-physiological parameters (plant height (PH), number of branches/plant (BN), number of panicles/plant (PN), panicle length (PL), biochemical traits (leaf C%, leaf N%, grain protein contents); harvest index and yield (seed yield and plant dry biomass (PDM) under three salinity levels (0, 10, and 20 d Sm-1 NaCl). The yield stability was evaluated through comparision of seed yield characteristics [(static environmental variance (S2) and dynamic Wricke's ecovalence (W2)]. Results showed that significant variations existed in agro-morphological and yield attributes. With increasing salinity levels, yield contributing parameters (number of panicles and panicle length) decreased. Salt stress reduced the leaf carbon and nitrogen contents. Genotypes Q21, and AMES13761 showed higher seed yield (2.30 t ha-1), more productivity and stability at various salinities as compared to the other genotypes. Salinity reduced seed yield to 44.48% and 60% at lower (10 dS m-1) and higher salinity (20 dS m-1), respectively. Grain protein content was highest in NSL106398 and lowest in Q29 when treated with saline water. Seed yield was positively correlated with PH, TB, HI, and C%. Significant and negative correlations were observed between N%, protein contents and seed yield. PH showed significant positive correlation with APL, HI, C% and C:N ratio. HI displayed positive correlations with C%, N% and protein content., All measured plant traits, except for C:N ratio, responded to salt in a genotype-specific way. Our results indicate that the genotypes (Q21 and AMES13761) proved their suitability under sandy desert soils of Dubai, UAE as they exhibited higher seed yield while NSL106398 showed an higher seed protein content. The present research highlights the need to preserve quinoa biodiversity for a better seedling establishment, survival and stable yield in the sandy desertic UAE environment.
Quinoa (n class="Species">Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) is a halophytic crop that shows resistance to multiple abiotic stresses, including salinity. In this study we investigated the salinity tolerance mechanisms of six contrasting quinoa cultivars belonging to the coastal region of Chile using agro-physiological parameters (plant height (PH), number of branches/plant (BN), number of panicles/plant (PN), panicle length (PL), biochemical traits (leaf C%, leaf N%, grain protein contents); harvest index and yield (seed yield and plant dry biomass (PDM) under three salinity levels (0, 10, and 20 d Sm-1 NaCl). The yield stability was evaluated through comparision of seed yield characteristics [(static environmental variance (S2) and dynamic Wricke's ecovalence (W2)]. Results showed that significant variations existed in agro-morphological and yield attributes. With increasing salinity levels, yield contributing parameters (number of panicles and panicle length) decreased. Salt stress reduced the leaf carbon and nitrogen contents. Genotypes Q21, and AMES13761 showed higher seed yield (2.30 t ha-1), more productivity and stability at various salinities as compared to the other genotypes. Salinity reduced seed yield to 44.48% and 60% at lower (10 dS m-1) and higher salinity (20 dS m-1), respectively. Grain protein content was highest in NSL106398 and lowest in Q29 when treated with salinewater. Seed yield was positively correlated with PH, TB, HI, and C%. Significant and negative correlations were observed between N%, protein contents and seed yield. PH showed significant positive correlation with APL, HI, C% and C:N ratio. HI displayed positive correlations with C%, N% and protein content., All measured plant traits, except for C:N ratio, responded to salt in a genotype-specific way. Our results indicate that the genotypes (Q21 and AMES13761) proved their suitability under sandy desert soils of Dubai, UAE as they exhibited higher seed yield while NSL106398 showed an higher seed protein content. The present research highlights the need to preserve quinoa biodiversity for a better seedling establishment, survival and stable yield in the sandy desertic UAE environment.
Authors: Diaa Abd El-Moneim; Eman I S ELsarag; Salman Aloufi; Asmaa M El-Azraq; Salha Mesfer ALshamrani; Fatmah Ahmed Ahmed Safhi; Amira A Ibrahim Journal: Plants (Basel) Date: 2021-12-17
Authors: Muhammad Bilal Hafeez; Shahid Iqbal; Yuanyuan Li; Muhammad Sohail Saddiq; Shahzad M A Basra; Hui Zhang; Noreen Zahra; Muhammad Z Akram; Daniel Bertero; Ramiro N Curti Journal: Plants (Basel) Date: 2022-03-10