Morphophysiological Diversity and Haplotype Analysis of Saltol QTL Region in Diverse Rice Landraces for Salinity Tolerance

Rice is sensitive to salinity stress at both the seedling and reproductive stages.The present study used 145 rice genotypes comprising of 100 landraces and 45 advanced breeding lines collected from different regions of India.These genotypes were evaluated in hydroponics under control[electrical conductivity(ECe)~1.2 dS/m]and saline(ECe~10.0 dS/m)environments along with susceptible(IR29)and tolerant(FL478)checks.The stress susceptibility index for eight morphophysiological traits was estimated.Analysis of variance showed significant differences among the genotypes for all the parameters studied in control,stress and relative stress conditions.We identified 3 landraces(Kuttimanja,Tulasimog and IET-13713I)as tolerant and 14 lines as moderately tolerant to salt stress.Strong correlations in the morphological(root and shoot lengths)and physiological traits(shoot Na^(+),Ca^(2+)and Mg^(2+)contents,and Na^(+)/K^(+)ratio)were observed under all the conditions.The hierarchical cluster analysis grouped the genotypes into five clusters,among which cluster Ⅱ comprised salt-tolerant lines.Haplotyping of Saltol region using 11 simple sequence repeat markers on 17 saline tolerant and moderately tolerant lines was conducted.Markers AP3206F,RM10793 and RM3412b,located close to SKC1 gene(11.23‒12.55 Mb),displayed diverse allelic variations and they were not related to the FL478 type.In this region,tolerant lines like Kuttimanja,IET-13713I and Tulasimog have new alleles.As a result,these lines may be suitable candidates for novel genomic regions governing rice salinity tolerance.Salt-tolerance ability of Kuttimanja,Tulasimog and IET-13713I was validated in two years in three salinity stress environments.These promising lines can be used in breeding programs to broaden the genetic base of salinity tolerance in rice,and it may help to dissect key genomic regions responsible for salinity tolerance.

Seasonal variance of salinity tolerance of a copepod Drepanopus bispinosus in an Antarctic littoral saline lake (Burton Lake)

In Burton Lake (an Antarctic littoral saline lake), as one of the overwinter species, the female Drepanopus bispinosus reach adult form in autumn. and early winter.For the subsequent life period of more than eight months, the animals experience such changing environment as increasing salinities from approximately 33 (in May) to 39 (in November). There is a considerable difference of salinity tolerance of female adults between summer and winter populations.Winter collected copepods survived lower salinities than summer collected copepods in this experiment. The upward shift in their salinity tolerance range is related to the development of field acclimation to salinity. Respiration rates of the summer animals showed a visible increase over those of winter copepods in simitar salinity and temperature conditions, thus supporting the above conclusion.

Selection of Rice Genotypes for Salinity Tolerance Through Morpho-Biochemical Assessment

The present study reported the morpho-biochemical evaluation of 15 selected rice genotypes for salt tolerance at the seedling stage. Growth parameters including shoot length, root length, plant biomass, plant turgid weight, plant dry weight along with relative water content were measured after exposure to saline solution （with electrical conductivity value of 12 dS/m）. Genotypes, showing significant differential responses towards salinity in the fields, were assessed through 14 salinity-linked morpho-biochemical attributes, measured at 14 d after exposure of seedling in saline nutrient solution. Relative water content, chlorophyll a/b, peroxidase activity and plant biomass were identified as potential indicators of salt tolerance. Principal component analysis and successive Hierarchical clustering using Euclidean distance revealed that Talmugur, Gheus, Ghunsi, Langalmura, Sabitapalui, and Sholerpona were promising genotypes for further breeding programmes in rice. The maximum Euclidean distance was plotted between Thavallakanan and Talmugur （7.49）, followed by Thavallakanan and Langalmura （6.82）, indicating these combinations may be exploited as parental lines in hybridization programmes to develop salinity tolerant variety.

Digging out molecular markers associated with low salinity tolerance of Nannochloropsis oceanica through bulked mutant analysis

Nannochloropsis oceanica is a marine microalgal species with both economic value and biological importance.It grows fast,contains rich oils,reproduces asexually,holds a small and haploidy genome,and is easy to be modified genetically.However,the genetic study of N.oceanica is scarce.Very less genetic bases of its traits have been deciphered,and no gene has been isolated from it with the function verified simultaneously via either genetic or reverse genetic approaches or both(de novo cloned).Changing medium salinity may aid to control harmful organisms met during large scale cultivation.As a stress,it may also facilitate the accumulation of desirable chemicals including fatty acids.In order to decipher the genetic basis of the low salinity tolerance of N.oceanica,we mutated N.oceanica with Zeocin.In total,five mutant bulks were constructed at equal number of cells,100 mutants each,which were tolerant to a discontinuous serial of salinities from that of 100%of f/2 to that of a mixture of 4%of f/2 and 94%of BG11.The bulks were genotyped through whole genome re-sequencing and analyzed with bulked mutant analysis(BMA)newly modified from bulked segregant analysis(BSA).In total,47 SNPs and 112 InDels were found to associate with the low salinity tolerance,and around them a set of low salinity tolerance associating genes were identified.A set of annotatable genes commonly found between control and different salinities indicated that the genes functioning in gene expression,energy metabolism and cellular structure may be involved in the low salinity tolerance.These associating molecular markers and genes around them were not enough for outlining the physiological mechanism underlining the tolerance;however they should aid to improve N.oceanica genetically.

Salinity Tolerance in Argentinean Population of <i>Bromus catharticus</i>. Variability and Direct and Indirect Effects on Seedling Characters

The aim of this research was to evaluate the salinity tolerance in prairie grass populations at the seedling stage quantifying the variability and the influence of physiological traits related to it. Salinity tolerance, in Bromus catharticus Vahl (prairie grass) populations collected in different environments of the Pampean Phytogeography region (Argentine) was evaluated at the seedling stage, using controlled condition of temperature and light. It was adopted a completely randomized design using 3 plots with three plants each one per population and two levels of treatment: 0 mM and 100 mM NaCl. Morphological, biomass and membrane stability root and shoot traits were studied. A factorial ANOVA with interaction was estimated. Then one way ANOVA for all seedling traits in both treatments allowed estimating variance components, coefficient of genotypic determination (CGD) and variation index (VI). Comparisons between populations were made using Tukey test (at 5% of probability). Phenotypic correlations among traits were calculated and then a path coefficient analysis separated direct and indirect effects at 100 and 0 mM NaCl. No significant interactions “Population × Treatment” were found for any character. The saline stress caused a pairing in the population means for the most traits. Coefficients of variation were mainly higher when the seedlings grew without stress (0 mM) because it allowed a greater potential genotypic expression. The absence of significant interactions denotes a good homeostatic capacity of the prairie grass facing that abiotic stress. Leaf length, shoot length and root dry matter were the variables with the largest direct and indirect effects. Our results showed an increase for them at salt and demonstrated intraspecific variation, possibly in relation with the origin sites. Plants under stress showed a marked resilience, in order to quickly restore the same biomass allocation patterns that occur in non-stress environment.

Fine-mapping and characterisation of genes on barley(Hordeum vulgare)chromosome 2H for salinity stress tolerance during germination

Salinity causes a detrimental impact on plant growth,particularly when the stress occurs during germination and early development stages.Barley is one of the most salt-tolerant crops;previously we mapped two quantitative trait loci(QTL)for salinity tolerance during germination on the short arm of chromosome 2 H using a CM72/Gairdner doubled haploid(DH)population.Here,we narrowed down the major QTL to a region of 0.341 or 0.439 Mb containing 9 or 24 candidate genes belonging to 6 or 20 functional gene families according to barley reference genomes v1 and v3 respectively,using two DH populations of CM72/Gairdner and Skiff/CM72,F_(2)and F;generations of CM72/Gairdner/;Spartacus CL,Two Receptorlike kinase 4(RLPK4)v1 or Receptor-like kinase(RLK)v3 could be the candidates for enhanced germination under salinity stress because of their upregulated expression in salt-tolerant variety CM72.Besides,several insertion/deletion polymorphisms were identified within the 3 rd exon of the genes between CM72 and Gairdner.The sequence variations resulted in shifted functional protein domains,which may be associated with differences in salinity tolerance.Two molecular markers were designed for selecting the locus with receptor-like protein kinase 4,and one was inside HORVU2 Hr1 G111760.1 or HORVU.MOREX.r3.2 HG0202810.1.The diagnostic markers will allow for pyramiding of 2 H locus in barley varieties and facilitate genetic improvement for saline soils.Further,validation of the genes to elucidate the mechanisms involved in enhancing salinity tolerance at germination and designing RLPK4 specific markers is proposed.For this publication,all the analysis was based on barley reference genome of2017(v1),and it was used throughout for consistence.However,the positions of the markers and genes identified were updated according to new genome(v3)for reference.

Comparing salinity tolerance in embryonic and larval development of two species of water strider, Aquarius paludum and Gerris latiabdominis （Hemiptera： Gerridae）

Water strider Aquarius paludum （Fabricius） is a cosmopolitan species colonizes mainly freshwater but occasionally brackish habitats throughout the Palearctic and Oriental regions. Water strider Gerris latiabdominis （Miyamoto） is a common species in Japan lives in temporary habitats as freshwater paddy fields. These two species often occur syntopically. We investigated differences in the developmental response to brackish water during embryonic and larval stages between the two species. Eggs were exposed to 0-1.8% NaC1 solutions within 24 h of oviposition. Larvae of G. latiabdominis were exposed to salinities of 0, 0.5%, and 0.9% from the first instar until adult emergence. Limits of NaC1 concentration for hatching were 1.3% and 1.0% for A. paludum and G. latiabdominis, respectively. The hatching rate of G. latiabdominis was lower than that ofA. paludum at salinities 〉0.9%. The period of embryonic development of G. latiabdominis was more prolonged than that ofA. paludum at a given salinity. Although the salinity tolerance of G. latiabdominis was lower than that ofA. paludum, our results suggest G. latiabdominis has the physiological capacity to expand into brackish waters. High and low salinity tolerances of A. paludum and G. latiabdominis, respectively, reflect the relatively wide range of habitat salinities utilized by A. paludum and the relatively restricted habitats preferred by G. latiabdominis. The high salinity tolerance ofA. paludum could be an important factor contributing to their cosmopolitan distribution because high tolerance to salinity means the possibility of them to be dispersed via ocean or sea to other continents and islands.

Marine urease with higher thermostability, pH and salinity tolerance from marine sponge-derived Penicillium steckii S4-4

Urease has a broad range of applications,however,the current studies on urease mainly focus on terrestrial plants or microbes.Thus,it is quite necessary to determine if marine-derived ureases have diferent characteristics from terrestrial origins since the fnding of ureases with superior performance is of industrial interest.In this study,the marine urease produced by Penicillium steckii S4-4 derived from marine sponge Siphonochalina sp.was investigated.This marine urease exhibited a maximum specifc activity of 1542.2 U mg protein−1.The molecular weight of the enzyme was 183 kDa and a single subunit of 47 kDa was detected,indicating that it was a tetramer.The N-terminal amino acid sequence of the urease was arranged as GPVLKKTKAAAV with greatest similarity to that from marine algae Ectocarpus siliculosus.This urease exhibited a K_(m) of 7.3 mmol L^(−1) and a V_(max) of 1.8 mmol urea min^(−1) mg protein^(−1).The optimum temperature,pH and salinity are 55℃,8.5 and 10%,respectively.This urease was stable and more than 80%of its maximum specifc activity was detected after incubating at 25–60℃for 30 min,pH 5.5–10.0 or 0–25%salinity for 6 h.Compared with the terrestrial urease from Jack bean,this marine urease shows higher thermostability,alkaline preference and salinity tolerance,which extends the potential application felds of urease to a great extent.

Genotypic Divergence, Photosynthetic Efficiency, Sodium Extrusion, and Osmoprotectant Regulation Conferred Salt Tolerance in Sorghum

Salt stress is one of the major limitations to modern agriculture that negatively influences plant growth and productivity.Salt tolerant cultivar can provide excellent solution to enhance stress tolerance with plantfitness to unfavorable environments.Therefore,this study was aimed to screen salt tolerant sorghum genotypes through evaluating of different morphological,biochemical,and physiological attributes in response to salinity stress.In this study,we have been evaluated total six sorghum genotypes including Hybrid sorgo,Debgiri,BD-703,BD-706,BD-707,and BD-725 under salt stress(12 dS m^(-1) NaCl).The response variables included length and weight of root and shoot,root:shoot ratio(RSR),photosynthesis(A),transpiration rate(E),elemental concen-trations(K^(+),Na^(+) and K^(+)/Na^(+)),photochemical efficiency of photosystem II(F_(v)/F_(m)),water use efficiency(WUE)and pigment content(chlorophyll a,and b).The results revealed that saline environment significantly reduced all response variables under study of sorghum genotypes,however,Hybrid sorgo remained unmatched by recording the maximum root and shoot traits.The same genotype recorded higher photosynthetic efficiency which was attributed to Na^(+) extrusion,K^(+) uptake and higher K^(+)/Na^(+) ratio(1.8 at stress),while these mechanisms were not fully active in rest of genotypes.Moreover,this study also implies the involvement of proline in imparting tolerance against saline environment in Hybrid sorgo genotype.Overall,BD-703 remained the most salt sensitive genotype as evident from the minimum morphological growth traits and the least biosynthesis of osmoprotectants.Thesefindings open new research avenues for salt stress alleviation by identifying elite salt-to-lerant genotypes of sorghum for breeding programs.

Impact of Seawater Irrigation on seed germination and seedling growth of Ten Bread Wheat(Triticum aestivum L.)Genotypes

Objective:Seawater leakage in Al-Jabal Al-Akhdar East Libya's coastal areas is one of the most biggest obstacles to farmers obtaining a highly productive crop.As a result,the experiment was conducted in a laboratory to find out the impact of irrigation with seawater on the salt tolerance of Acsad Bread wheat genotypes.Method:Ten genotypes(1398,1492,1514,1522,1524,1536,1538,1544,1550,and 1562),obtained from the Arab Center for the Studies of Arid Zones and Dry Lands Acsad,were used in the study,10 seeds of each genotype with three repetitions were germinated under four seawater concentrations(10,20,30 and 40%).Results:The results showed that there were highly significant(P≤0.05)differences in the genotypes’response to all salinity concentrations,Which led to decreasing germination percentage,delaying the average germination time,and decreasing radical/plumule length and seedling fresh/dry weight compared with a control.As noted genotypes(1524,1522 and 1514)were able to germinate in all concentrations of seawater,and gave the best average for all the studied traits.Also,the study indicated that a concentration of seawater of 40%was the most toxic for all wheat genotypes.The results of this study categorize the wheat genotypes into tolerant genotypes(1524,1522 and 1514),moderate tolerant(1492,1536),and sensitive(1398,1538,1544,1550 and 1562).Conclusion:The results concluded that the possibility of wheat crops agriculture into tolerant in Libyan coastal locations in which seawater concentration did not exceed 30%.

Comparison Between a Tetraploid Turnip and Its Diploid Progenitor(Brassica rapa L.):The Adaptation to Salinity Stress

Polyploidy is pursued in plant breeding programs due mainly to its ability to yield larger vegetative or reproductive organs. In controlled growth chamber experiments, a tetraploid turnip （cv. Aijiaohuang, 4n） and its diploid progenitor （cv. Aijiaohuang, 2n） were evaluated for their tolerance to salinity stress via investigations on a group of physiological parameters. The results indicate that the tetraploid turnip exhibit better adaptation to a high concentration salt medium （200 mmol L-1）, as evidenced by a less-affected germination rate and a healthier morphological appearance at the seedling stage. Furthermore, an extension of salinity stress up to a certain period of time at the 5-7-leaf stage shows differences between the tetraploid turnip and its diploid progenitor. The former had a higher K＋/Na＋ ratio in the roots, higher glutathione concentration and antioxidant activities in the leaves, and smaller reductions in photosynthetic capacity in terms of leaf chlorophyll content. Studies on the differences between an autopolyploid and its respective relative, from which the autopolyploid originated, in terms of their tolerance to salinity and/or other abiotic stresses, have remained rather limited. The comparison is interesting due to a homogenous genetic background.

Applying a salinity response function and zoning saline land for three fi eld crops: a case study in the Hetao Irrigation District, Inner Mongolia, China

Salinity is one of the major abiotic factors affecting the growth and productivity of crops in Hetao Irrigation District, China. In this study, the salinity tolerances of three local crops, wheat （Triticum aestinum L.）, maize （Zea mays L.） and sunflower （Helianthus annuus L.）, growing in 76 farm fields are evaluated with modified discount function. Salinity ecological zones appropriate for these local crops are characterized and a case study is presented for crop salinity ecological zoning. The results show that the yield reductions of wheat, maize and sunflower when grown in saline soils are attributed primarily to a reduction in spikelet number, 1 000-grain weight and seed number per head, respectively. Sunflower is the most tolerant crop among the three which had a salinity tolerance index （ST-index） of 12.24, followed by spring maize and spring wheat with ST-Indices of 9.00 and 7.43, respectively. According to the crop salinity tolerance results, the arable land in the Heping Village of this district was subdivided into four salinity ecological zones： the most suitable, suitable, sub-suitable and unsuitable zones. The area proportion of the most suitable zone for wheat, maize and sunflower within the Heping Village was 27.5, 46.5 and 77.5%, respectively. Most of the most suitable zone occurred in the western part of the village. The results of this study provide the scientific basis for optimizing the local major crop distribution and improving cultural practices management in Hetao Irrigation District.

Early ABA-stimulated maintenance of Cl^(−) homeostasis by mepiquat chloride priming confers salt tolerance in cotton seeds

Mepiquat chloride(MC)priming alleviates the effects of salt stress during seed germination in cotton(Gossypium hirsutum L.),but the mechanisms underlying its effects are unknown.We found that MC priming increases salt tolerance,as evidenced by marked increases in seed vigor and germination rates,and alleviated salt toxicity by reducing Cl^(−)accumulation in germinating seeds.Consistently,electrophysiological experiments revealed that the seeds with MC priming displayed superior Cl^(−)exclusion ability in the root apex.These beneficial effects of MC priming were abolished by the abscisic acid(ABA)-synthesis blocker fluridone under salt stress.MC priming induced an early response to acclimatization and stress,as indicated by rapidly increasing ABA content during initial exposure to salt stress.Transcriptome analyses revealed that MC priming induced an array of differentially expressed genes(DEGs)in germinating seeds.The most noticeable changes in germinating seeds were MC priming-induced increases in the expression of DEGs encoding components of ABA biosynthesis,ABA catabolism,and ABA signaling pathways under salt stress.MC priming also increased the expression of some DEGs encoding Cl^(−)ion transporters(e.g.CCC,SLAC1/SLAH1/SLAH3,CLC,and ALMT9)in germinating seeds.These results indicate that MC priming-induced ABA contributes to Cl^(−)homeostasis in tissues and acts as a positive regulator of salt tolerance via regulation of Cl^(−)transporters(particularly CCC and SLAC1/SLAH1/SLAH3).Taken together,these findings shed light on the molecular mechanism underlying MC-mediated tolerance to salt stress during seed germination.

Screening of Rice Accessions for Tolerance to Drought and Salt Stress Using Morphological and Physiological Parameters

Drought and salinity are the most widespread soil problems, posing a big threat to food security in rice growing regions. The present study evaluated the performance of eleven rice genotypes using morphological and physiological parameters, under induced drought and salinity conditions. The seedlings were raised in 5 kg of homogenous soil in plastic bags in the greenhouse. For the drought experiment, each bag was watered with 200 ml of water twice daily until plants reached the five-leaf stage when watering was suspended for 2 weeks for the drought stressed plants but not suspended for the control plants. The experiment was a 2 × 11 factorial and the set up was arranged using the completely randomized design with three replications. Data were taken on Plant height, Number of tillers, leaf length, Number of green leaves, Number of dead leaves, Leaf rolling score (LRS) and Rate of water loss. The salinity experiment was set up in a similar manner except that the plants were irrigated twice a day for 2 weeks with 200 ml of treatment solution containing either 0 mM NaCl or 75 mM and data were collected on plant height, number of tillers, shoot fresh weight, shoot dry weight, Na+ and K+ concentrations, relative water content and chlorophyll content. Data from both experiments were subjected to Analysis of variance test using the GenStat software 10th edition and the means separated using least significant difference test. Individual stress response index (ISRI) was calculated for each parameter and the means used in grouping the varieties. Of the genotypes evaluated, four (FARO 44, NERICA 2, NERICA 8 and NERICA 5) were identified as tolerant, two (NERICA 4 and FARO 57) as moderately tolerant, while the rest were found to be sensitive to drought. Equally, two varieties (FARO 44 and RAM 137) stood out in the salinity screening as tolerant varieties, five were moderately tolerant while four (FARO 64, FARO 52, NERICA 2 and FARO 55) were clearly susceptible. FARO 44 is the only genotype that showed tolerance to both drought and salinity. The identified drought and salinity tolerant rice genotypes from this study can be recommended as genetic sources for future breeding programs for drought and salinity tolerance in rice.

The Selection and Breeding of a Novel Microorganism Strain I and Investigation of Core Model Experiment for MEOR

This paper introduces the results of selecting and breeding a micro-organism, Strain I, and its core model experiment investigation for microbial enhanced oil recovery (MEOR). Strain I was separated from the formation water of the Dagang oil field, with analytical results showing that Strain I is a gram-positive bacillus. A further study revealed that this strain has an excellent tolerance of environmental stresses: It can survive in conditions of 70℃, 30 wt% salinity and pH3.5-9.4. Strain I can metabolize biosurfactants that could increase the oil recovery ratio, use crude oil as the single carbon source, and decompose long-chain paraffin with a large molecular weight into short-chain paraffin with a small molecular weight. The core model experiment shows that Strain I enhances oil recovery well. Using 2 vol% of the fermentation solution of Strain I to displace the crude oil in the synthetic plastic bonding core could increase the recovery ratio by 21.6%.

Differential expression of PeSOS1, PeNhaD1 and PeNHX1 genes between the salt-tolerant Populus euphratica and salt-sensitive P. hopeiensis calli

Populus euphratica Oliv. is of high salinity tolerance and used as a model species for investigating molecular mechanisms of trees＇ responses to salt stress. In the work presented here we found that calli of P. euphratica grew more rapidly and accumulated less Na＋, but more K＋, under salt stress than those of salt-sensitive poplar, Populus hopeiensis. Different types of Na＋/H＋ antiporters （SOS1, NhaD1 and NHX1） were isolated from P. euphratica; all of these genes have been shown to play important roles in plant salt tolerance mechanism in previous studies. Expression profiles of these three genes were compared between P. hopeiensis and P. euphratica in the presence and absence of salt stress by real-time PCR. The three genes were induced in both P. euphratica and P. hopeiensis by salt. Transcript levels of PeNHX1 were lower in P. euphratica than in P. hopeiensis under 150 mM NaCl stress. In addition, transcript levels of PeNhaD1 were lower, while PeSOS1 were higher in P. euphratica than in P. hopeiensis under both stressed and unstressed conditions. The results indicated that P. euphratica up-regulates different genes and consistently maintains both effluxes of Na＋ and high K＋ levels. Our data suggests that differences in gene expression patterns may contribute to the dif-ference in salt tolerance between these two poplars.

Diversity of Sodium Transporter HKT1;5 in Genus Oryza

Asian cultivated rice shows allelic variation in sodium transporter,OsHKT1;5,correlating with shoot sodium exclusion(salinity tolerance).These changes map to intra/extracellularly-oriented loops that occur between four transmembrane-P loop-transmembrane(MPM)motifs in OsHKT1;5.HKT1;5 sequences from more recently evolved Oryza species(O.sativa/O.officinalis complex species)contain two expansions that involve two intracellularly oriented loops/helical regions between MPM domains,potentially governing transport characteristics,while more ancestral HKT1;5 sequences have shorter intracellular loops.We compared homology models for homoeologous OcHKT 1;5-K and OcHKT1;5-L from halophytic O.coarctata to identify complementary amino acid residues in OcHKT1;5-L that potentially enhance affinity for Na+.Using haplotyping,we showed that Asian cultivated rice accessions only have a fraction of HKT1;5 diversity available in progenitor wild rice species(O.nivara and O.rufipogon).Progenitor HKT1;5 haplotypes can thus be used as novel potential donors for enhancing cultivated rice salinity tolerance.Within Asian rice accessions,10 non-synonymous HKT1;5 haplotypic groups occur.More HKT1;5 haplotypic diversities occur in cultivated indica gene pool compared to japonica.Predominant Haplotypes 2 and 10 occur in mutually exclusive japonica and indica groups,corresponding to haplotypes in O.sativa salt-sensitive and salt-tolerant landraces,respectively.This distinct haplotype partitioning may have originated in separate ancestral gene pools of indica and japonica,or from different haplotypes selected during domestication.Predominance of specific HKT1;5 haplotypes within the 3000 rice dataset may relate to eco-physiological fitness in specific geo-climatic and/or edaphic contexts.

Morphological and Molecular Characterization of Novel Salt-Tolerant Rice Germplasms from the Philippines and Bangladesh

To screen for new sources of salinity tolerance, 688 traditional rice varieties from the Philippines and Bangladesh were obtained, and their tolerance to hypersaline conditions at the seedling stage was examined. A total of 29 Philippine lines and 15 Bangladeshi lines were scored as salt-tolerant.Morphological assessment(plant height, biomass and Na-K ratio) revealed that among the 44 salt-tolerant accessions, Casibon, Kalagnon and Ikogan had significantly higher relative shoot length difference, relative shoot growth reduction and shoot Na-K ratio than the tolerant check FL478.Additionally, AC and Akundo exhibited significantly higher Na-K ratios than the other genotypes. The genetic diversity of the 44 genotypes was assessed using 34 simple sequence repeat markers. A total of 133 alleles were detected across all loci. Cluster analysis showed that AC, Akundo and Kuplod were clustered along with FL478, indicating a strong genetic relatedness between these genotypes. IR29(susceptible check) was singly separated. The haplotype analysis revealed that none of the 44 genotypes had a similar allele combination as FL478. These accessions are of interest since each genotype might be different from the classical salinity-tolerant Pokkali.

Salinity and cultivar effects on alfalfa forage yield and nutritive value in a Mediterranean climate

Background:Soil and water salinity are increasing problems worldwide,causing significantly reduced crop yields.Alfalfa(Medicago sativa L.)is often listed as salt-sensitive,but field testing of improved cultivars is limited.Forage systems and improved high-quality alfalfa varieties are needed to enable crop production under high salinity(HS)conditions.Methods:The objective of this study was to measure the yield and quality response of alfalfa to high saline conditions in the field and to document the relative saline tolerance of its varieties.HS irrigation water(electrical conductivity of water,or ECw 8.0–11.0 dS m−1)was applied to 33 nondormant alfalfa cultivars and were compared with low salinity(LS)treatments(ECw 0.5–1.2 dS m−1)over 4 years in a Mediterranean environment on a clay loam soil utilizing a split-plot design.Crops were harvested seven to eight times per year,and the forage quality was measured on selected harvests utilizing near-infrared spectroscopy.Results:The average yield loss due to HS treatment was 23.9%compared with LS treatment,but yields averaged 23.4 Mg ha−1 under HS over the 3 full years of production.This level of production is considered to be economically viable in this region.Differences in salinity tolerance between lines were identified in the field;individual cultivars lost 5%–35%of their LS yield when grown under HS conditions.Forage quality was significantly improved under HS versus LS conditions,but improvements were negatively correlated with biomass yield(R2>0.81),similar to responses observed in drought-stressed alfalfa.Conclusions:These yield results confirm greenhouse studies,indicating that alfalfa is highly salt tolerant once established in the field,with potential for further improvement with tolerant cultivars.Salinity tolerance should be chosen based on total biomass yield as well as on the salinity tolerance index(HS yield relative to LS yield).Agronomic practices to mitigate salinity and sodicity are critical,along with improved cultivars.

Root-Specific Transcript Profiling of Contrasting Rice Genotypes in Response to Salinity Stress

Elevated salinity imposes osmotic and ion toxicity stresses on living cells and requires a multitude of responses in order to enable plant survival. Building on earlier work profiling transcript levels in rice （Oryza sativa） shoots of FL478, a salt-tolerant indica recombinant inbred line, and IR29, a salt-sensitive cultivar, transcript levels were compared in roots of these two accessions as well as in the roots of two additional salt-tolerant indica genotypes, the landrace Pokkali and the recombinant inbred line IR63731. The aim of this study was to compare transcripts in the sensitive and the tolerant lines in order to identify genes likely to be involved in plant salinity tolerance, rather than in responses to salinity perse. Transcript profiles of several gene families with known links to salinity tolerance are described （e.g. HKTs, NHXs）. The putative function of a set of genes identified through their salt responsiveness, transcript levels, and/or chro- mosomal location （i.e. underneath QTLs for salinity tolerance） is also discussed. Finally, the parental origin of the Saltol region in FL478 is further investigated. Overall, the dataset presented appears to be robust and it seems likely that this system could provide a reliable strategy for the discovery of novel genes involved in salinity tolerance.