Abstract
To accelerate the exploitation and use of marginal soils and develop salt-tolerant forage germplasm suitable for the coastal regions of China, seven lines of decaploid tall wheatgrass [Thinopyrum ponticum (Podp.) Barkworth and D. R. Dewey, 2n = 10x = 70] were transplanted under low (.3%) and high (.5%) salt conditions for a comprehensive analysis at the adult-plant stage. Differences were observed among these materials, especially in terms of grass yield, agronomic characteristics, and physiological and biochemical indices. Line C2 grew best with the highest shoot total fresh and dry weights under all conditions except for the milk-ripe stage in Dongying in 2019. The total membership value of C2 also reflected its excellent performance after transplanting. As superior germplasm, its relatively high antioxidant enzyme activities and chlorophyll a/b ratio suggested C2 may maintain normal metabolic and physiological functions under saline conditions. Furthermore, decaploid tall wheatgrass as a forage grass species has a high nutritive value beneficial for animal husbandry. Accordingly, line C2 may be used as excellent germplasm to develop salt-tolerant cultivars in the Circum-Bohai sea.
Highlights
Soil salinization is a major environmental stress factor that inhibits normal plant growth while leading to soil degradation and significant deterioration of the global ecosystem (Bazihizina et al, 2012; Ding et al, 2021)
The objective of this study was to identify salttolerant Th. ponticum germplasm with excellent agronomic characteristics that may be useful for breeding new Th. ponticum varieties, ideal for the saline soil in the coastal regions of China
Three uniform plants were selected from each plot, and the plant height (PH, cm), tiller number (TN), spike number (SN), spikelet number per spike (SNPS), leaf fresh weight (LFW, g), stem fresh weight (SFW, g), shoot total fresh weight (STFW, g), and shoot total dry weight (STDW, g) of the Th. ponticum plants were analyzed at the flowering and milk-ripe stages in Haixing in 2018 (18HF and 18HM) and Dongying in 2018 (18DF and 18DM) and 2019 (19DF and 19DM)
Summary
Soil salinization is a major environmental stress factor that inhibits normal plant growth while leading to soil degradation and significant deterioration of the global ecosystem (Bazihizina et al, 2012; Ding et al, 2021). More than 800 million hectares (6.5%) of the land area worldwide contain saline-alkali soil (FAO, 2017; Zhang et al, 2018). Salinized soils, which are mainly distributed in the northwestern, northern, northeastern, and coastal regions of China, result from seawater impregnation, volcanic movement, salt bioaccumulation, uplift of saline groundwater, and agricultural irrigation (Wang et al, 2020). The most effective and environmentally friendly methods for controlling soil salinization involve the absorption, transformation, or transfer of salt from the soil via the metabolic and growth activities of plants and microorganisms. Cultivating salt-tolerant crops on salinized land may lead to increased transpiration, decreased groundwater levels, and inhibited soil salinization (Qadir and Oster, 2004). Studies on many forage species, such as Leymus chinensis (Wang et al, 1994), Achnatherum splendens (Xu et al, 2008), and Hordeum jubatum L.
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