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Influence of salt stress on biochemical processes in chickpea, Cicer arietinum L

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Abstract

Some biochemical processes in pods of chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) plants subjected to increasing levels of NaCl salinity in sand culture have been investigated. Chickpea exhibited a marked salt sensitivity with respect to yield characteristics such as number of pods per plant, number of filled pods and 100 pod and seed weight. The accumulation of Na and Cl was more pronounced in the pod shell as compared to that in seeds. The Ca content in pod shell showed a decrease under saline conditions whereas an opposite trend was exhibited by P. Under saline conditions the levels of Fe, Mn and Mg were lowered in the seed tissue. The protein and starch contents of the seeds were also reduced markedly under saline conditions while only minor changes in the sugar fraction were found. Salinity favoured accumulation of free proline in the pod shell as well as in the seeds. Salt stress caused reduction of photosynthetic carbon assimilation in pods with a change in pattern of carbon metabolism.

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... Aimed at enhancing the performance of crops through genetic and environmental/soil manipulations, constant efforts have been made by the plant scientists towards studying the effect and mechanism of action of salt stress. Various studies on the effect of salinity stress on different crops have focused on changes in physiological and biochemical characteristics and these have been mainly explained in terms of the ionic toxicity, osmotic stress, production of reactive oxygen species etc. Soils with high salt concentration are known to cause reduction in growth and yield of different crops (Murumkar and Chavan, 1986;Soliman et al., 1994;Ghassemi-Golezani et al., 2010;Kumar et al., 2010;Baxter et al., 2011). This reduction in growth and productivity is explained as resulting from decrease in the photosynthetic activity which in turn is attributed to the reduced chlorophyll content (Reddy and Vora, 1986;Jamil et al., 2007). ...
... Synthesis of protective proteins has been observed in roots of barley grown under the influence of salinity stress (Mostek et al., 2015). Effect of salinity on seed storage proteins has been studied by different workers in major food crops such as chickpea (Murumkar and Chavan, 1986), wheat (Soliman et al., 1994), soybean (Ghassemi-Golezani et al., 2010), oats (Kumar et al., 2010), rice (Baxter et al., 2011) etc. However, no such studies on the effect of salinity on accumulation of seed storage proteins have been reported in barley. ...
... With an initial increase in seed protein Figure 1: Protein concentration in four seed protein fractions at different salinity levels content at lower salinity levels, the salt tolerant and salt sensitive lines exhibited a decrease in protein content at higher salinity (12 dS m -1 and 15 dS m -1 ). As reported in earlier studies on changes in seed protein content under salinity treatment in different crops like wheat (Soliman et al., 1994;Abdul Qados, 2009), oats (Kumar et al., 2010), soybean (Ghassemi-Golezani et al., 2010), chickpea (Murumkar and Chavan, 1986) Pennisetum (Reddy and Vora, 1985) etc., the seed protein content in our studies also decreased with increase in the level of salinity. Seed protein content, in wheat, has been reported to decrease under varying (0.5 dS m -1 , 4.0 dS m -1 , 8.2 dS m -1 and 12.5 dS m -1 ) salinity levels (Soliman et al., 1994). ...
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Alterations in electrophoretic and other protein characteristics appearing at relatively lower salinity level in barley line ‘BHS 352’ and at higher salinity level in line ‘Karan16’ reflected their sensitivity and tolerance respectively which these two lines are known for. While major polypeptides in globulin fraction exhibited enhanced accumulation up to 8 dSm-1 in salt sensitive line ‘BHS 352’, those in line ‘Karan16’ increased in intensity up to the higher salinity level of 12 dS m-1; further increase in salinity led to a negative effect on globulin polypeptides in both the lines. The intensity of major glutelin polypeptides reduced continuously with increase in salinity level, the effect being more pronounced in the salt sensitive line. On the other hand, prolamin polypeptides of the two lines were affected differently at increasing salinity levels, salt sensitive line showing a continuous increase in B-hordein polypeptides and a decrease in C and D-hordein polypeptides. Many more new albumins polypeptides appearing in the salt sensitive line and only three new albumin polypeptides in the salt tolerant line point towards their differential metabolic requirements.Uniform and simultaneous changes in the major polypeptides of a given storage protein fraction indicate their coordinated regulation while varying effects of salinity stress on three storage protein fractions point towards the occurrence of independent regulatory pathways for each fraction.
... Analysis of pod walls and seeds of chickpea (cv. Chafa) grown with 50 mm NaCl in sand culture identified potentially toxic levels of Na + and Clin both of these tissues (Murumkar & Chavan 1986). Samineni et al. (2011) reported that Na + concentrations in floral parts (498 μmol g -1 dry mass) were similarly high to those in the whole shoot of plants exposed to 60 mm NaCl in nutrient solution. ...
... Ion analysis of the mature seeds of chickpea grown in saline soils revealed an increased concentration of Na + and Clcompared with control plants whereas the K + concentration did not change (Fig. 7a,b,c). This agrees with Murumkar & Chavan (1986) who showed that in chickpea (cv. Chafa) grown at 50 mm NaCl in sand culture, seed Na + and Clconcentrations increased in comparison with non-saline controls, but K + was not affected. ...
Article
The reproductive phase in chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) is affected by salinity, but little is known about the underlying cause. We investigated whether high concentrations of Na(+) and Cl(-) in the reproductive structures influence reproductive processes. Chickpea genotypes contrasting in tolerance were subjected to 0, 35 or 50 mM NaCl applied to soil in pots. Flower production and abortion, pod number, percentage of empty pods, seed number and size, were evaluated. The concentrations of Na(+) , K(+) and Cl(-) were measured in various plant tissues and, using X-ray microanalysis, in specific cells of developing reproductive structures. Genotypic variation in reproductive success measured as seed yield in saline conditions, was associated with better maintenance of flower production and higher numbers of filled pods (and thus seed number), whereas seed size decreased in all genotypes. Despite the variation in reproductive success, the accumulation of Na(+) and Cl(-) in the early reproductive tissues of developing pods did not differ between a tolerant (Genesis836) and a sensitive (Rupali) genotype. Similarly, salinity tolerance was not associated with the accumulation of salt ions in leaves at the time of reproduction or in seeds at maturity. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
... When chickpea (cv. Chafa) was grown at 50 mm NaCl in sand culture, pod wall Na + and Cl -were, respectively, 720 and 1420 mmol g -1 dry mass and seed Na + and Cl -were, respectively, 420 and 870 mmol g -1 dry mass (Murumkar & Chavan 1986), demonstrating that potentially-toxic levels of ions might occur in both these tissues. These high ion concentrations occurred despite the pots being flushed in alternate irrigations with saline and fresh solutions, a practice that prevents a steady state from occurring. ...
... However, when the water potential of the pod fell from –0.37 to –1.22 MPa, the turgor pressure of the cells in the pod wall decreased from 0.97 to 0.25 MPa, while the turgor pressure of the seed coat remained constant at 0.11 MPa (Shackel & Turner 2000), suggesting that the seed is buffered from the decrease in water potential and water content in the plant and even in the pod wall. As in leaves (see preceding section on water relations), the proline concentration in pod walls can double and the concentration in seeds increase by 40% when exposed to 100 mm NaCl (Murumkar & Chavan 1986,Table S2). Apart from the effects on the water relations of the pod, water shortage has been shown to decrease pollen and stigma viability and increase flower and pod abortion (Leport et al. 2006; Fang et al. 2009), so that the decrease in water relations under salinity may also influence pollen viability and flower and pod abortion before any ionic imbalances begin to play a role in the reproductive processes, but this need to be evaluated in future studies. ...
Article
The growth of chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) is very sensitive to salinity, with the most susceptible genotypes dying in just 25 mm NaCl and resistant genotypes unlikely to survive 100 mm NaCl in hydroponics; germination is more tolerant with some genotypes tolerating 320 mm NaCl. When growing in a saline medium, Cl(-), which is secreted from glandular hairs on leaves, stems and pods, is present in higher concentrations in shoots than Na(+). Salinity reduces the amount of water extractable from soil by a chickpea crop and induces osmotic adjustment, which is greater in nodules than in leaves or roots. Chickpea rhizobia show a higher 'free-living' salt resistance than chickpea plants, and salinity can cause large reductions in nodulation, nodule size and N(2)-fixation capacity. Recent screenings of diverse germplasm suggest significant variation of seed yield under saline conditions. Both dominance and additive gene effects have been identified in the effects of salinity on chickpea and there appears to be sufficient genetic variation to enable improvement in yield under saline conditions via breeding. Selections are required across the entire life cycle with a range of rhizobial strains under salt-affected, preferably field, conditions.
... Chandarashekhar et al, 1986 ;Singla and Garg, 2005 ;Sohrabi et al., 2008 ) . ...
Article
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As salinity is becoming a major threat to the agricultural production in the arid and semi-arid parts of the world, exploring salt resistant genotypes for different crop plants, including chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.), is a very important task. Thus, in a 3-replicate completely randomized factorial pot experiment, six chickpea genotypes (i.e. Arman, Khorram-Abad, Nour-Abad, Hashem, Azad, and ILC-482) were subjected to four levels of NaCl salt (i.e. 0, 25, 50 and 75 mM) in Isfahan University of Technology, Isfahan, Iran. Results indicated that the increased salinity led to increases in shoot Na+ and K+ concentrations, increases in days of flowering and physiological maturity, Ca+2 concentration, plant height, capsules/plant, seeds/capsule, seed weight/plant, dry mass/plant and harvest indices of all genotypes, though in different extents. Genotype ILC-482 was found to indicate smaller increases in shoot Na+ concentration and Na+/K+ ratio and smaller decreases in plant height, capsules/plant, seeds/capsule, seed weight/plant, dry mass/plant and harvest index, when grown at the presence of salt. Our findings suggested that even moderate levels of salt (e.g. 50 and 75 mM) were effective to impose notable depressions in growth and grain yield attributes of chickpea. Though, genotype ILC-482 seemed to be more salt tolerant at least relative to the remaining of examined genotypes. Key Words: Sodium chloride, Genotype, Grain weight per plant, Chickpea
... The sharp decline in total amino acid content was attributed to a reduction in N uptake (Swaraj and Bishnoi, 1999). In another study, salinity increased protein and starch contents in chickpea grain but decreased Fe, Mg and Mn contents (Chandrashekhar and Chavan, 1986). ...
Article
Salt stress is an ever-present threat to crop yields, especially in countries with irrigated agriculture. Efforts to improve salt tolerance in crop plants are vital for sustainable crop production on marginal lands to ensure future food supplies. Grain legumes are a fascinating group of plants due to their high grain protein contents and ability to fix biological nitrogen. However, the accumulation of excessive salts in soil and the use of saline groundwater are threatening legume production worldwide. Salt stress disturbs photosynthesis and hormonal regulation and causes nutritional imbalance, specific ion toxicity and osmotic effects in legumes to reduce grain yield and quality. Understanding the responses of grain legumes to salt stress and the associated tolerance mechanisms, as well as assessing management options, may help in the development of strategies to improve the performance of grain legumes under salt stress. In this manuscript, we discuss the effects, tolerance mechanisms and management of salt stress in grain legumes. The principal inferences of the review are: (i) salt stress reduces seed germination (by up to more than 50%) either by inhibiting water uptake and/or the toxic effect of ions in the embryo, (ii) salt stress reduces growth (by more than 70%), mineral uptake, and yield (by 12–100%) due to ion toxicity and reduced photosynthesis, (iii) apoplastic acidification is a good indicator of salt stress tolerance, (iv) tolerance to salt stress in grain legumes may develop through excretion and/or compartmentalization of toxic ions, increased antioxidant capacity, accumulation of compatible osmolytes, and/or hormonal regulation, (v) seed priming and nutrient management may improve salt tolerance in grain legumes, (vi) plant growth promoting rhizobacteria and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi may help to improve salt tolerance due to better plant nutrient availability, and (vii) the integration of screening, innovative breeding, and the development of transgenics and crop management strategies may enhance salt tolerance and yield in grain legumes on salt-affected soils.
... The sharp decline in total amino acid content was attributed to a reduction in N uptake (Swaraj and Bishnoi, 1999). In another study, salinity increased protein and starch contents in chickpea grain but decreased Fe, Mg and Mn contents (Chandrashekhar and Chavan, 1986). ...
Article
Full-text available
Salt stress is an ever-present threat to crop yields, especially in countries with irrigated agriculture. Efforts to improve salt tolerance in crop plants are vital for sustainable crop production on marginal lands to ensure future food supplies. Grain legumes are a fascinating group of plants due to their high grain protein contents and ability to fix biological nitrogen. However, the accumulation of excessive salts in soil and the use of saline groundwater are threatening legume production worldwide. Salt stress disturbs photosynthesis and hormonal regulation and causes nutritional imbalance, specific ion toxicity and osmotic effects in legumes to reduce grain yield and quality. Understanding the responses of grain legumes to salt stress and the associated tolerance mechanisms, as well as assessing management options, may help in the development of strategies to improve the performance of grain legumes under salt stress. In this manuscript, we discuss the effects, tolerance mechanisms and management of salt stress in grain legumes. The principal inferences of the review are: (i) salt stress reduces seed germination (by up to more than 50%) either by inhibiting water uptake and/or the toxic effect of ions in the embryo, (ii) salt stress reduces growth (by more than 70%), mineral uptake, and yield (by 12e100%) due to ion toxicity and reduced photosynthesis, (iii) apoplastic acidification is a good indicator of salt stress tolerance, (iv) tolerance to salt stress in grain legumes may develop through excretion and/or compartmentalization of toxic ions, increased antioxidant capacity, accumulation of compatible osmolytes, and/or hormonal regulation, (v) seed priming and nutrient management may improve salt tolerance in grain legumes, (vi) plant growth promoting rhizobacteria and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi may help to improve salt tolerance due to better plant nutrient availability, and (vii) the integration of screening, innovative breeding, and the development of transgenics and crop management strategies may enhance salt tolerance and yield in grain legumes on salt-affected soils.
... Though protein biosynthesis generally declines under stress conditions, cells preferentially synthesize specific stress proteins also. Depressed protein synthesis and acceleration in their degradation in plants in response to salt stress has been reported by a number of workers 21,22 . Present study on the qualitative changes in protein profiles of three varieties of wheat differing in their tolerance to salinity was, therefore, undertaken to understand these mechanisms and delimit the combined effects of boron and salinity. ...
Article
Full-text available
Plants’ tolerance to stresses, particularly abiotic, is an important area of research, particularly in agriculture. Here, we studied the combined effect of excess boron (B) and salinity on three wheat varieties viz., KRL 35, KRL 210 and HD 2009. Root samples were collected 20 days after imposing different treatments, namely Control, 50 and 100 ppm B + 60 mM NaCl, respectively; and 50 and 100 ppm B + 100 mM NaCl, respectively in a hydroponic system. Results indicated that length, fresh and dry weight of root and shoot consistently decreased with increasing concentration of B and salt in the nutrient medium. These changes were accompanied by significant reductions in soluble sugars and proteins in roots, whereas proline content increased. The KRL 35 (salt tolerant variety) showed 5 specific polypeptides of 89.13, 53.4, 46.21, 32.35 and 31.10 kDa. Likewise, KRL 210 (moderately salt tolerant) showed de novo synthesis of 53.4 and 19.13 kDa, whereas three specific polypeptides (24.05, 19.13 and 17.52 kDa) appeared in HD 2009 (salt sensitive). Synthesis of the common polypeptide 25.12 kDa was observed with increase in stress treatments in all three varieties. Enhanced expression of 25.12 kDa proteins, particularly in the sensitive variety induced protein synthesis under excess boron and salt stress conditions. Thus, altered and enhanced expression of proteins might be responsible for the survival and growth of plants under excess B and NaCl affecting the functional capabilities of seeds in the stress environment. Appearance of new polypeptides or their disappearance might be related to the genotypic stress tolerance or sensitivity. © 2017, National Institute of Science Communication. All rights reserved.
... Salt stress impairs reproductive processes/development in plants due to the possible accumulation of toxic ions (Na + and/or Cl − ) in reproductive tissues, reduced supply of assimilates to reproductive tissues due to decreased leaf area and reduced photosynthesis, water restriction and/or hormonal imbalances Munns and Rawson, 1999;Munns, 2002;Ghanem et al., 2009). In chickpea, potentially toxic levels of Na + and Cl − were found in flowers, pod walls and seeds (Murumkar and Chavan, 1986;Samineni et al., 2011), but Na + and Cl − concentrations in ovules soon after fertilization were relatively low and did not explain differences in the seed yield of two contrasting genotypes (Kotula et al., 2015). Turner et al. (2013) reported that salt stress increased pod abortion in sensitive genotypes, but that pollen viability, in vitro pollen germination and in vivo pollen growth was not affected. ...
Article
Full-text available
Reproductive processes of chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) are particularly sensitive to salinity. We tested whether limited photoassimilate availability contributes to reproductive failure in salt-stressed chickpea. Rupali, a salt-sensitive genotype, was grown in aerated nutrient solution, either with non-saline (control) or 30 mM NaCl treatment. At flowering, stems were either infused with sucrose solution (0.44 M), water only or maintained without any infusion, for 75 d. The sucrose and water infusion treatments of non-saline plants had no effect on growth or yield, but photosynthesis declined in response to sucrose infusion. Salt stress reduced photosynthesis, decreased tissue sugars by 22–47%, and vegetative and reproductive growth were severely impaired. Sucrose infusion of salt-treated plants increased total sugars in stems, leaves and developing pods, to levels similar to those of non-saline plants. In salt-stressed plants, sucrose infusion increased dry mass (2.6-fold), pod numbers (3.8-fold), seed numbers (6.5-fold) and seed yield (10.4-fold), yet vegetative growth and reproductive failure were not rescued completely by sucrose infusion. Sucrose infusion partly rescued reproductive failure in chickpea by increasing vegetative growth enabling more flower production and by providing sucrose for pod and seed growth. We conclude that insufficient assimilate availability limits yield in salt-stressed chickpea.
... The reduction in seed yield in these cases might be due to accumulation of toxic levels of salts in floral tissues, which in turn affected the flower to pod conversion (Samineni et al. 2011). Further, the accumulation of significant levels of Na + and Clin pod shell compared to seed (Murumkar and Chavan 1986) implied that the sink number rather than sink size is affected under high soil salinity stress. This explained why the reduction in 100 seed weight was less compared to other traits. ...
Article
Full-text available
Under controlled growth conditions, the accurate identification occurred if it built on the developmental life cycles of the daily observed axenic new algal cultures. Identification during the stationary phase particularly after the akinate formation may clarify most taxonomical problems of Nostoc and Anabeana genera. The presence and absence of certain fatty acids is a strain-specific feature and can be used as a chemotaxonomic marker to differentiate the strains at the genus or species level. Fatty acids as a stable phenotypic expression can use to complement other approaches to establish a polyphasic classification of cyanobacteria and may used to confirm and integrate with morphological criteria of them.
... The reduction in seed yield in these cases might be due to accumulation of toxic levels of salts in floral tissues, which in turn affected the flower to pod conversion (Samineni et al. 2011). Further, the accumulation of significant levels of Na + and Clin pod shell compared to seed (Murumkar and Chavan 1986) implied that the sink number rather than sink size is affected under high soil salinity stress. This explained why the reduction in 100 seed weight was less compared to other traits. ...
Article
Full-text available
In Leather leaf fern (Rumohra adiantiformis) production, a combination of Cocopeat +Sand+Vermicompost (1:1:1 v/v) as substrate and the application of NPK @100:30:60 kg/ha/ year in six splits at bimonthly intervals (basal dose of full P, 0.1% Arka Microbial Consortium (AMC) as one time application and N and K as splits) resulted in the maximum number of cut foliage/plant, length of lamina, length of stipe, length of frond and width of frond. Chemical analysis of the substrate revealed near neutral pH , optimum levels of organic carbon and available N, high levels of available P, K, Ca, Mg, Fe, Mn, Zn and Cu. The substrate also had higher population of Bacillus sp, Pseudomonas sp and Azotobacter sp as compared to the soil based substrates.
... The reduction in seed yield in these cases might be due to accumulation of toxic levels of salts in floral tissues, which in turn affected the flower to pod conversion (Samineni et al. 2011). Further, the accumulation of significant levels of Na + and Clin pod shell compared to seed (Murumkar and Chavan 1986) implied that the sink number rather than sink size is affected under high soil salinity stress. This explained why the reduction in 100 seed weight was less compared to other traits. ...
Article
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Fresh shoots (two leaves and a bud) of Kangra tea collected at seven day intervals throughout the plucking seasons (April to October) during three consecutive years. In fresh tea shoots the variations in the levels of total polyphenols in the range: 124.800 to 207.600gkg-1 (2006), 192.421 to 304.144gkg-1 (2007), 131.842 to 231.750gkg-1 (2008); and total catechins in the range: 60.070 to 163. 900gkg-1 (2006), 65.557 to 146.808gkg-1 (2007), 59.710 to 80.122gkg-1 (2008); were significant throughout the plucking seasons. Correlations among total polyphenols, total catechins and six weather parameters were worked out. The catechins content of tea powders obtained by lyophilizing aqueous extracts of fresh tea shoots always varied in the order (−)-epigallocatechin gallate > (−)-epigallocatechin > (−)-epicatechin > (+)- catechin. Tea powders of summer season had higher levels of total catechins, (+)-catechin, (−)- epicatechin and (−)-epigallocatechin compared to rest of the plucking seasons.
... The bigger seeds of wheat cultivars had higher levels of protein than the smaller seeds (Ries and Everson, 1973;Ries et al., 1976) and reduced seed storage protein contents led to altered storage organelle formation in rice (Kawakatsu et al., 2010). Salinity (50 mM NaCl) markedly reduced the protein and starch contents of chickpea seeds (Cicer arietinum L.) (Murumkar and Chavan, 1986). However, in the present study the bigger seeds displayed higher contents of storage compounds, as well as better germination parameters. ...
Article
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Suaeda salsa is an annual herbaceous euhalophyte in the family Chenopodiaceae that produces dimorphic seeds on the same plant under natural conditions. In order to determine the effect of salinity on seed quality traits during seed formation, seeds from plants grown under control conditions and on 200 mM NaCl were used to investigate the effect of NaCl on seed production and seed germination. Results showed that size and weight of both black and brown seeds generated from 200 mM NaCl-treated plants were markedly greater than those from controls. The germination percentage of brown seeds from both control and NaCl-treated plants was higher than that of black seeds. Furthermore, the germination percentage of the black seeds generated from 200 mM NaCl-treated plants was significantly higher than that of the control at different concentrations of NaCl, although germination percentage declined with the increase NaCl concentration. Surprisingly, NaCl did not affect germination of the brown seeds. The germination index and vigour index of both black and brown seeds from the control plants were significantly lower than those of seeds from the different NaCl treatments. Seed starch, soluble sugar, protein and lipid content of both black and brown seeds generated from the 200 mM NaCl-treated plants were significantly higher than those from the control. These results suggest that a certain concentration of NaCl plays a pivotal role in seed vitality of the euhalophyte S. salsa through increasing seed weight and contents of storage compounds such as protein, starch and fatty acids.
... Most studies on abiotic stress tolerance, especially salinity, have been conducted at relatively high levels of stress where specific physiological or morphological adaptations to salinity stress are considered important (Cheeseman, 1988;Greenway and Munns, 1980;Sachs and Ho, 1986;Yeo, 1983). Among these adaptations are reduced respiration (Allen et aL, 1986), ion accumulation or exclusion (Ashraf et aL, 1986;Bar-Tsur and Rudich, 1987), metabolic heat output (Criddle et aL, 1989), changes in leaf type (Jefferies and Pitman, 1986), increased production offree proline (Murumkar and Chavan, 1986), reduction in photosynthetic carbon metabolism (Robertson and Wainwright, 1987;Seemann and Critchley, 1985), reduction in cell wall thickness (Nyman et aL, 1987); increased plastid number (Nyman et aL, 1987); stimulation of C 4 like activities in C 3 plants (Rajmane and Karadge, 1986), increased or decreased protein synthesis (Ramagopal, 1986;Sachs and Ho, 1986), hyperacetylation of histone cores , and new mRNA induction . ...
... Salt stress impairs reproductive processes/development in plants due to the possible accumulation of toxic ions (Na + and/or Cl − ) in reproductive tissues, reduced supply of assimilates to reproductive tissues due to decreased leaf area and reduced photosynthesis, water restriction and/or hormonal imbalances Munns and Rawson, 1999;Munns, 2002;Ghanem et al., 2009). In chickpea, potentially toxic levels of Na + and Cl − were found in flowers, pod walls and seeds (Murumkar and Chavan, 1986;Samineni et al., 2011), but Na + and Cl − concentrations in ovules soon after fertilization were relatively low and did not explain differences in the seed yield of two contrasting genotypes (Kotula et al., 2015). Turner et al. (2013) reported that salt stress increased pod abortion in sensitive genotypes, but that pollen viability, in vitro pollen germination and in vivo pollen growth was not affected. ...
Presentation
Reproductive processes of chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) are particularly salt sensitive. Reproductive failure of chickpea under salt stress could be due to direct ion toxicity or limitations of photosynthate supply to reproductive tissues. This experiment was designed to test whether increased sugar supply could overcome the reproductive failure of salt-stressed chickpea. Rupali, a particularly salt sensitive genotype, was grown in control conditions or salt stress (30 mM NaCl) for 100 days in nutrient solution culture. At the time of flowering, some plants were infused with sucrose solution (0.44 M) into the stem, infused with water only, or maintained without any infusion. Both vegetative growth and reproductive processes were severely reduced by the 30 mM NaCl treatment. Sucrose or water infusion in plants without salt stress had no effects on growth and yield. Under salt stress, non-infused and water-infused plants did not differ. However for salt-stressed plants, sucrose infusion increased dry mass per plant (3 fold) as compared with non-infused plants. Sugar infusion also increased the number of pods per plant by 4 fold and the number of seeds and seed yield by 6 fold and 10 fold, respectively, but seed yield still remained lower than for plants in non-saline conditions. Individual seed size was reduced under salt stress, but sucrose infusion did not influence seed size. We conclude that insufficient photosynthate availability limits yield in salt-stressed chickpea.
... It is more likely, however, that the " disappeared " proteins in response to stress are a result of their denaturation. Depressed protein synthesis and acceleration and its degradation in plants in response to salt stress have been reported by number of workers (Chandershekhar et al., 1986). Sousa et al., (2004) reported that cowpea seedlings subjected to NaCl stress showed increased concentration of 9 proteins, decreased concentration of one and de novo synthesis of one 21.2 kDa protein. ...
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The effects of salinity on some growth parameters, protein content and antioxidant enzymes were studied in three Acanthophyllum species of different ploidy levels including A. laxiusculum Shiman-Czeika (diploid species with 2n = 30), A. sordidum Bunge ex Boiss. (tetraploid species with 2n = 60) and A. glandulosum Bunge ex Boiss. (hexaploid species with 2n = 90). Seedlings of the species were subjected to NaCl stress (50, 100, 150 and 200 mM) for 40 days. Salinity affected the growth parameters and caused a reduction in germination percentage, relative growth rate (RGR) and relative water content (RWC) with a greater reduction in A. laxiusculum. However, salinity stress caused only slight decrease in RGR and RWC of A. glandulosum and A. sordidum. Protein content in both A. laxiusculum and A. sordidum increased up to 150 mM NaCl, but this increase in A. glandulosum occurred at 150 and 200 mM NaCl. A. laxiusculum exhibited a decrease in peroxidase (POX) and polyphenol oxidase (PPO) under NaCl stress; while A. glandulosum showed a remarkable increase in POX and PPO between 50 to 200 mM NaCl. In A. sordidum, POX and PPO activities increased at 50 mM NaCl and then decreased at higher salinities. The obtained results showed that the differences in the antioxidant enzyme activities of seedling may, at least in part explain the greater tolerance of A. glandulosum comparing to A. sordidum and A. laxiusculum. According to our results, A. glandulosum (hexaploid species) showed a better protection mechanism against salinity induced oxidative damage than A. sordidum (tetraploid species).
... Legumes appear to be more sensitive to salinity than other crop plants. In chickpea exposed to saline conditions, toxic accumulation of Na and Cl has been reported in different plant parts at different growth stages (Murumkar and Chavan 1986;Lauter and Munns 1987;Mamo et al. 1996;Samineni et al. 2011). In a large-scale salinity screening in chickpea, however, Na concentration in vegetative shoots had no relationship with the biomass or the final seed yield ( Vadez et al. 2007). ...
... Legumes appear to be more sensitive to salinity than other crop plants. In chickpea exposed to saline conditions, toxic accumulation of Na and Cl has been reported in different plant parts at different growth stages (Murumkar and Chavan 1986; Lauter and Munns 1987; Mamo et al. 1996; Samineni et al. 2011). In a large-scale salinity screening in chickpea, however, Na concentration in vegetative shoots had no relationship with the biomass or the final seed yield (Vadez et al. 2007). ...
Article
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Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) is known to be salt-sensitive and in many regions of the world its yields are restricted by salinity. Recent identification of large variation in chickpea yield under salinity, if genetically controlled, offers an opportunity to develop cultivars with improved salt tolerance. Two chickpea land races, ICC 6263 (salt sensitive) and ICC 1431 (salt tolerant), were inter-crossed to study gene action involved in different agronomic traits under saline and control conditions. The generation mean analysis in six populations, viz. P1, P2, F1, F2, BC1P1 and BC1P2, revealed significant gene interactions for days to flowering, days to maturity, and stem Na and K concentrations in control and saline treatments, as well as for 100-seed weight under salinity. Seed yield, pods per plant, seeds per plant, and stem Cl concentration were controlled by additive effects under saline conditions. Broad-sense heritability values (>0.5) for most traits were generally higher in saline than in control conditions, whereas the narrow-sense heritability values for yield traits, and stem Na and K concentrations, were lower in saline than control conditions. The influence of the sensitive parent was higher on the expression of different traits; the additive and dominant genes acted in opposite directions which led to lower heritability estimates in early generations. These results indicate that selection for yield under salinity would be more effective in later filial generations after gene fixation. KeywordsChickpea– Cicer arietinum –Generation mean analysis–Genetics–Salinity tolerance–Tissue sodium and chloride
... So, if Na and Cl had accumulated in the stigma of salinized chickpea, then it seems reasonable to expect that in vivo pollen germination and pollen tube growth would have been inhibited, thereby reducing conversion of flowers to pods and thus seed numbers. Although not evaluated in the present study, seed size in chickpea can also be reduced under saline conditions (e.g. by 20%, Vadez et al., 2007), and entry of Na and Cl into seeds (Murumkar and Chavan, 1986;Mamo et al., 1996) might have contributed to these declines if these ions adversely affected metabolism, in addition to possible declines in photosynthate available for seed-filling in salinized plants (cf. suggested for rice, Khatun et al., 1995). ...
Article
Soil salinity is an increasing problem, including in regions of the world where chickpea is cultivated. Salt sensitivity of chickpea was evaluated at both the vegetative and reproductive phase. Root-zone salinity treatments of 0, 20, 40 and 60mM NaCl in aerated nutrient solution were applied to seedlings or to older plants at the time of flower bud initiation. Even the reputedly tolerant cultivar JG11 was sensitive to salinity. Plants exposed to 60mM NaCl since seedlings, died by 52 d without producing any pods; at 40mM NaCl plants died by 75 d with few pods formed; and at 20mM NaCl plants had 78–82% dry mass of controls, with slightly higher flower numbers but 33% less pods. Shoot Cl exceeded shoot Na by 2–5 times in both the vegetative and reproductive phase, and these ions also entered the flowers. Conversion of flowers into pods was sensitive to NaCl. Pollen from salinized plants was viable, but addition of 40mM NaCl to an in vitro medium severely reduced pollen germination and tube growth. Plants recovered when NaCl was removed at flower bud initiation, adding new vegetative growth and forming flowers, pods and seeds. Our results demonstrate that chickpea is sensitive to salinity at both the vegetative and reproductive phase, with pod formation being particularly sensitive. Thus, future evaluations of salt tolerance in chickpea need to be conducted at both the vegetative and reproductive stages.
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