Photosynthetica 2016, 54(3):340-350 | DOI: 10.1007/s11099-016-0083-3

Photosynthetic pigments, ionic and antioxidative behaviour of hulled tetraploid wheat in response to NaCl

S. Tabatabaei¹, P. Ehsanzadeh^1,*

¹ Department of Agronomy and Plant Breeding, College of Agriculture, Isfahan University of Technology, Isfahan, Iran

Salt stress causes extensive losses to agricultural crops, including wheat, throughout the world and has been the focus of wide research. Though, information is scarce on the potential of ancient wheat relatives in tackling this major limiting factor. Thus, six hulled tetraploid wheat genotypes (HW) were compared to a free-threshing durum wheat genotype (FTW) under different NaCl concentrations, ranging from 0 to 150 mM, at early growth stages in a sand culture experiment. Salt stress induced significant declines in the leaf chlorophyll (Chl) a, Chl b, total Chl, and carotentoid contents; the extent of the declines was greater in FTW compared to HW. Mean leaf proline (3.6-fold) and Na⁺ (1.58-fold) concentrations and Na⁺/K⁺ (2.48-fold) drastically increased with 150 mM of NaCl; the magnitude of the increases was greater in HW compared to FTW. While the carotenoids concentration decreased with progressive salinity both in HW and FTW, the activities of antioxidant enzymes, i.e., catalase, ascorbate peroxidase, and peroxidase were reduced in FTW, but remained unchanged in HW. The above responses to 150 mM NaCl were associated with a significant decrease in shoot dry mass of FTW and lack of significant changes in that of HW. Findings of the present study could help pave the way for further studies on physiological and molecular mechanisms of salt tolerance in these durum wheat relatives.

Keywords: primitive wheat; root dry mass; salinity

Received: May 21, 2015; Accepted: October 16, 2015; Published: September 1, 2016Show citation