Abstract
BackgroundSalinity is a significant environmental stress factor limiting crops productivity. Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) has a natural tolerance to salinity stress, making it an interesting study object in stress biology research. In the present study, for the first time the effect of salinity stress on barley inflorescence developmental stages was investigated. Five spring barley genotypes irrigated with saline water (12.5 ds/m NaCl) were compared to controls treated with normal tap water. We measured abscisic acid (ABA) concentrations in the apical, central and basal sections of the immature inflorescence at green anther (GA) stage. The role of ABA in spikelet primordia development, atrophy and abortion and final yield was evaluated.ResultsA time course experiment starting from double ridge until green anther (GA) stages revealed that salinity reduced the length of spike developmental stages in all genotypes causing shortened of the plant life cycle. The shortened plant life cycle negatively affected plant height and number of tillers/plant. Salinity also affected spikelet primordia development. In both control and salinity treated plants apical spikelet abortion started in late awn primordium (AP) stage. However, under salinity treatment, significantly more spikelets were aborted, thus directly affecting plant yield potential. ABA, which plays a role in the spikelet/floret abortion process, was markedly elevated in the base and apex of salt treated spikes correlating with an increased spikelet abortion in these regions.ConclusionsOverall, salinity treatment reduced all plant and yield-related parameters investigated and turned some of the correlations among them from positive to negative or vice versa. Investigations of ABA role in floral development and phase duration of barley spike showed that, ABA regulates the spikelet/floret abortion process affecting the yield potential under salinity and control conditions.
Highlights
Salinity is a significant environmental stress factor limiting crops productivity
In the present work we studied the response of inflorescence developmental stages, spikelet primordia development, and abscisic acid (ABA) concentrations in the inflorescence of five spring barley genotypes to salinity stress and related this to final yield
The shortest stage lengths for Lemma Primordium (LP)-awn primordium (AP), AP-white anther (WA), WA-green anther (GA) and GA-HD were recorded for the Lemsi genotype taking 3, 6, 6 and 3 days, respectively (Fig. 3b)
Summary
Salinity is a significant environmental stress factor limiting crops productivity. Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) has a natural tolerance to salinity stress, making it an interesting study object in stress biology research. For the first time the effect of salinity stress on barley inflorescence developmental stages was investigated. Boussora et al Bot Stud (2019) 60:13 solution where research aiming to understand the effects of salinity on cereals production should be combined with genetic efforts to develop salt tolerant crops for the future of agriculture (Shannon 1984; Owens 2001; Kausar et al 2013). Barley row type varies from two-rowed to six-rowed and is controlled by at least five independent mutant loci that include sixrowed-spike (vrs1), vrs, vrs, vrs, and Intermedium-c (Int-c). These loci are located on barley chromosomes 2HL, 5HL, 1HS, 3HS and 4HS, respectively (Pourkheirandish and Komatsuda 2007). The maximum yield potential per spike is represented by the number of spikelets per spike at the awn primordium stage (Riggs and Kirby 1978; Waddington et al 1983; Kirby and Appleyard 1987; Kernich et al 1997; Alqudah and Schnurbusch 2014)
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary 
Published Version (
Free)
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call