Assessment of new citrus hybrid rootstocks to salinity at the early seedling stage under greenhouse conditions

M. Majji¹², O. Chetto¹, A. Talha¹, G. Bouaaza¹², L. Beniken¹, R. Benkirane² and H. Benyahia¹*

¹Unit research of Plant Breeding and Germplasm Conservation, National Institute for Agricultural Research (INRA), Kenitra, Morocco
²Laboratory of Plant, Animal, and Agro-Industry Productions, Ibn Tofail University, Kenitra, Morocco
*Correspondence: hamidbenyahia2002@yahoo.fr

Abstract:

The citrus industry in arid areas is largely constrained by the salinity of irrigation water and soil. This study was conducted to determine how six novel citrus hybrid rootstocks will respond to salinity at the seedling stage. Three different NaCl concentrations, 0, 2, and 5 g L^-1, were added to the half-concentrated Hoagland solution (corresponding to 1.3 (control), 4 and 9 dS m^-1, respectively). Three-month-old seedlings grown in greenhouse conditions and transplanted in plastic pots were used. After two months of stress, different responses from the rootstocks and salt levels were observed. The addition of NaCl to the irrigation solution considerably decreased the fresh and dry weight and leaf chlorophyll content. Additionally, the proline content, soluble sugar, and the leaf chloride content increase with the increase in salinity. Our findings demonstrated that the hybrid Poncirus Trifoliata× Citrus reshni Hort. ex Tan. (V5) H6 is salt-sensitive, accumulating a high leaf chloride level of 46.92 mg g^-1 of dry matter and a low chlorophyll content of 1.12 mg g^-1 of fresh matter associated with signs of leaf toxicity, leading to poor fresh and dry weight. Although hybrid Poncirus Trifoliata× Citrus reshni Hort. ex Tan. (V1) H2 is thought to be salt-tolerant, it accumulates 38.88 mg g^-1 of dry-matter leaf chloride and 1.72 mg g^-1 of fresh-matter chlorophyll content.

Key words:

Assessment of salt resistance of some potato varieties by biochemical and RFLP markers

M.V. Badalyan¹, T.V. Aloyan¹*, V.T. Dilanyan¹, S.A. Kharatyan², H.S. Martirosyan¹, A.J. Sahakyan¹, N.A. Sahakyan¹, A.Sh. Melikyan¹

¹Scientific Center of Agrobiotechnology, ANAU Armenian National Agrarian University, Teryan 74, AM0009 Yerevan, Armenia
²Scientific Centre for Risk Assessment and Analysis in Food Safety Area, 107/2 of Masis Highway, AM0071Yerevan, Armenia
*Correspondence: tatevaloyan22@gmail.com

Abstract:

Continuous changes in climate, desertification, reduction of arable land, increase in salted land, in the conditions of continuous growth of the population, the problem of providing food and food security to humanity arises, the solution of which is one of the challenges of the 21^st century that requires universal efforts. At the same time, abiotic stresses, which are the cause of 50% of global yield losses, are the motivation for the creation of new stress-resistant varieties of crops using modern technologies. The salt resistance of that idea as a physiological manifestation with a polygenic component is characteristic in the modern processes of selection management.

This work presents studies of salt tolerance of three valuable varieties of potatoes cultivated in Armenia, using biochemical and DNA-markers. Classical agronomic, molecular-biological, genetic-mathematical methods are used in the researches. In order to induce salt stress and provocation background in plants, 50, 100 and 150 mmol solutions of NaCl were used.

The results have shown that 11S-globulin of all varieties are polymorphic, forming different electrophoresis spectra and protein formulas. It is also evident that plants with different spectra of the same varieties react differently to salt stress. The DNA restriction regions of the salt-resistant variants are significantly longer than those of the non-salt-resistant forms. Thanks to the biochemical and RFLP markers, it has been possible to establish salt tolerance loci, to identify and list plants with a salt-tolerant spectrum of the same variety, which can be nominated as new salt-tolerant varieties for breeding stock producers.

Key words:

DNA restriction fragment, electrophoresis spectrum, protein formula, restriction enzyme, salt stress