Abstract
Persimmon (Diospyros kaki Thunb.) production is facing important problems related to climate change in the Mediterranean areas. One of them is soil salinization caused by the decrease and change of the rainfall distribution. In this context, there is a need to develop cultivars adapted to the increasingly challenging soil conditions. In this study, a backcross between (D. kaki x D. virginiana) x D. kaki was conducted, to unravel the mechanism involved in salinity tolerance of persimmon. The backcross involved the two species most used as rootstock for persimmon production. Both species are clearly distinct in their level of tolerance to salinity. Variables related to growth, leaf gas exchange, leaf water relations and content of nutrients were significantly affected by saline stress in the backcross population. Water flow regulation appears as a mechanism of salt tolerance in persimmon via differences in water potential and transpiration rate, which reduces ion entrance in the plant. Genetic expression of eight putative orthologous genes involved in different mechanisms leading to salt tolerance was analyzed. Differences in expression levels among populations under saline or control treatment were found. The ‘High affinity potassium transporter’ (HKT1-like) reduced its expression levels in the roots in all studied populations. Results obtained allowed selection of tolerant rootstocks genotypes and describe the hypothesis about the mechanisms involved in salt tolerance in persimmon that will be useful for breeding salinity tolerant rootstocks.
Highlights
Persimmon (Diospyros kaki Thunb.) has become one of the most dynamic tree crops in the world
A third population was obtained from the cross between a Diospyros kaki genotype with male flowers used as a male parent and a hybrid tree obtained between D. kaki, as a male parent and D. virginiana as a female parent
The variables were studied using Principal component analysis (PCA) in which 63.2% of the total variance was Salinity tolerance responses among persimmon species for rootstock breeding explained by the two first components (Fig 1A)
Summary
Persimmon (Diospyros kaki Thunb.) has become one of the most dynamic tree crops in the world. According to the data available (www.fao.org/faostat), global cultivated surface has increased 43% in the last 10 years (2006–2016) and world production increased 59%, which demonstrates an important improvement in crop yield. This trend has been highly relevant in some countries. In the Mediterranean basin, the cultivated surface has been. Salinity tolerance responses among persimmon species for rootstock breeding
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