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RESEARCH ARTICLE

Genetic variation in growth, ionic accumulation and salt tolerance indices under long-term salt stress in halophytic Tunisian sea barley (Hordeum marinum ssp. marinum)

W. Saoudi https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7777-4459 A * , W. Taamalli B C , M. Badri A , O. Z. Talbi A and C. Abdelly A
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A Laboratory of Extremophile Plants, Centre of Biotechnology of Borj Cedria, B.P. 901, Hammam-Lif 2050, Tunisia.

B Laboratory of Olive Biotechnology, Centre of Biotechnology of Borj Cedria, B.P. 901, Hammam-Lif 2050, Tunisia.

C Higher Institute of Biotechnology of Béja, University of Jendouba, B.P. 382, Béja 9000, Tunisia.

* Correspondence to: saoudiwarda1@gmail.com

Handling Editor: Tina Acuna

Crop & Pasture Science 75, CP23199 https://doi.org/10.1071/CP23199
Submitted: 11 April 2023  Accepted: 6 March 2024  Published: 4 April 2024

© 2024 The Author(s) (or their employer(s)). Published by CSIRO Publishing

Abstract

Context

Identification of salt-tolerant genetic resources is of high importance due to the constant increase in salt-affected areas.

Aims

This study was conducted to assess genetic variation in salt response among and within Tunisian sea barley populations and to identify useful genotypes for future breeding programmes directed towards improving salinity tolerance.

Methods

The salinity response of 141 lines from 10 natural populations of Hordeum marinum ssp. marinum was characterised at a morphophysiological level, following exposure to 200 mM sodium chloride for 90 days.

Key results

ANOVA revealed significant differences in growth and ion accumulation between and within populations in response to salinity. The Sebkhet Ferjouna population was less affected than Sidi Othman and Tabarka; however, it accumulated relatively higher sodium and lower potassium and potassium/sodium ratio. Stress Tolerance Index (STI) and Salt Tolerance (ST) values varied significantly among populations and lines. STI was positively correlated with potassium and negatively correlated with sodium content in roots and leaves, whereas no evidence of a relationship between both cations and ST was observed.

Conclusions

SO7, SO28, LB5, LB25, TB1, MT3 and BK12 with high values of STI were identified as high yielding lines in control and salt stress conditions, whereas MT3, BK12, MT17, BF10, SL8, SL16 and SF32, with the highest values of ST, were characterised by a small yield loss and low sensitivity when exposed to salinity.

Implications

These lines constitute a genetic resource with desirable adaptation characteristics for breeding programmes towards salinity tolerance in cultivated cereals.

Keywords: broad-sense heritability, genetic diversity, growth, Hordeum marinum ssp. marinum, ion accumulation, salinity, salt stress indices, sea barley.

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