In vivo screening of salinity tolerance in Giant Swamp Taro (Cyrtosperma merkusii)

Abstract

Giant Swamp Taro (Cyrtosperma merkusii) is a staple food crop in the Pacific, especially in the low lying atoll islands such as Tuvalu and Kiribati. This is owing to its ability to survive under poor soil conditions and harsh environments. However, as a result of the effects of climate change such as sea water inundation and intrusion into the fresh ground water lens, this crop is now under threat. To address this issue an adaption approach was taken whereby, Cyrtosperma merkusii was screened in vivo for salt tolerance. The epistemology followed random selection of two cultivars Ikaraoi and Katutu. These two cultivars were subjected to 0% (0 parts per trillion), 0.5% (5 ppt), 1% (10 ppt), 1.5% (15 ppt) and 2% (20 ppt) of salt in Yates’s advance seedling common potting mix. Both cultivars were able to tolerate salinity levels up-to 5ppt which is significantly more than the salt tolerance in glycophytes of 2.83 ppt. This research provides an insight into the variation of salt tolerance that may exist in C.merkusii gene pool, which can be used to adapt to natural disasters and buffer its impacts.