Evaluating seed germination and early seedling growth of wild medicinal plants for saline soil cultivation

Abstract

The impact of soil salinity on various wild plant species, including Peucedanum japonicum, Astragalus membranaceus, Lepidium sativum, Acyranthes bidentata, and Platycodon grandiflorum, was investigated in this study. Different concentrations of sodium chloride (NaCl) were used to induce salt stress, and the salt sensitivity index was employed to assess species-specific responses. Among the plants studied, Lepidium sativum exhibited the lowest sensitivity to salt stress during germination across all NaCl concentrations. For instance, at 50 mM NaCl, there were decreases of 7.2% in germination percentage, 4.22% in germination energy, 0.35% in germination index, 7.2% in peak value, and 11.99% in germination value. These percentages decreased further, ranging from 15.30% to 30.92%, at 100 mM NaCl, and more substantially at 150 mM NaCl, where reductions ranged from 42.94% to 66.26%, except for the germination rate, which only decreased by 0.05%. Conversely, Peucedanum japonicum demonstrated the highest sensitivity, experiencing reductions ranging from 27.46% to 100% at 50 mM NaCl, and complete reductions (100%) at 100 and 150 mM NaCl concentrations across all evaluated parameters. In terms of seedling growth, Acyranthes bidentata displayed the lowest sensitivity, with minimal reductions observed in various parameters, while Lepidium sativum showed significant reductions in several aspects of seedling growth under salt stress. The study underscored genetic variation in response to salt stress among the evaluated plant species, suggesting Acyranthes bidentate as a promising candidate for cultivation under salt-stress conditions. This information holds significance for utilizing unfavorable lands for plant cultivation.