Screening and identification of salt tolerance soybean varieties and germplasms

Soil salinization is a globally prevalent abiotic environmental stress.The imbalance of ions caused by high concentrations of sodium chloride results in a 40%reduction in soybean yield.Soybean,as an important crop for soil quality improvement,necessitates the identification of salt-tolerant varieties and germplasms to effectively utilize and enhance saline-alkali land.In this study,we assessed the salt tolerance of 435 soybean varieties and germplasms during the seedling stage.Among them,Qihuang34,You2104,Hongzhudou,Pamanheidou,and Osage exhibited grade 1 salt tolerance rates surpassing other tested materials.Furthermore,Hongzhudou and Qihuang34 demonstrated higher salt tolerance during germination and emergence stages based on their elevated rates of emergence,salt tolerance index,chlorophyll content,and shoot fresh weights.Overall findings provide valuable resources for molecular breeding efforts aimed at developing salt-tolerant soybean varieties suitable for cultivation in saline-alkali soils.

Multidimensional evaluation of salt tolerance in groundnut genotypes through biochemical responses

The manuscript explores the complex interplay between groundnut genotypes,salt tolerance and hormonal influence,shedding light on the dynamic responses of three specific groundnut genotypes,KDG-128,TG-37 A and GG-20,to salt treatments and gibberellic acid(GA3).The study encompasses germination,plant growth,total protein content and oil content as key parameters.Through comprehensive analysis,it identifies TG-37 A and KDG-128 as salt-tolerant genotypes,and GG-20 as salt-susceptible genotypes,which highlighting the potential for targeted breeding efforts to develop more resilient groundnut varieties.Moreover,the quantification of protein and oil content under different treatments provides vital data for optimizing nutritional profiles in groundnut cultivars.Principal Component Analysis(PCA) underscores the significance of the first principal component(PC1)in explaining the majority of variance,capturing primary trends and differences in plant length.Analysis of Variance(ANOVA) and hierarchical analysis confirm the presence of statistically significant differences in protein and oil content among the genotypes.Pearson's correlation coefficient matrix analysis reveals strong positive correlations between plant length and protein content,plant length and oil content,and a moderately positive correlation between protein content and oil content.These findings provide valuable insights into groundnut physiology,salt tolerance,and nutritional composition,with implications for future research in sustainable agriculture and crop improvement.

Soaking Rice Seeds in High Concentration Salt Solution Improved Salt Tolerance at the Seedling Stage

[Objectives]This study was conducted to enhance the salt tolerance of current rice varieties at the seedling stage and fulfill the urgent requirement for salt-tolerant rice varieties in coastal tidal flats.[Methods]Four high-generation stable rice lines with diverse salt tolerance were employed as test materials,and four NaCl concentration gradients were established for seed soaking treatment.[Results]The seedling survival rate of line 151465 underwent significant alterations after soaking with four different salt concentrations,and the survival rate was the highest after treatment with 1.8%NaCl for 1 d,reaching 65.2%.The average survival rate of other three lines with different salt tolerance reached 62%after soaking with 1.8%NaCl for 1 d,which was significantly higher than those of the 2.2%NaCl and 0%NaCl treatments.[Conclusions]This study provides a basis for reducing the effect of abiotic stress on rice growth and development and improving the utilization rate of saline-alkali land.

Cloning of cDNA Encoding Choline Monooxygenase from Suaeda liaotungensis and Salt Tolerance of Transgenic Tobacco

Betaine is a very effective osmoprotectant found in many organisms. In high plants, betaine is synthesized by oxidation of choline in two sequential steps: choline-->betaine aldehyde-->betaine. The first step is catalyzed by choline monooxygenase (CMO). In this study, the full-length CMO cDNA (1 820 bp) was cloned from halophyte Suaeda liaotungensis Kitag by RT-PCR and RACE. It included a 123 bp 5' UTR, a 368 bp 3' UTR and a 1 329 bp open reading frame encoding a 442-amino-acid polypeptide with 77%, 72% and 74% sequence identity compared to CMOs from spinach, sugar beet and Atriplex hortensis, respectively. The CMO open reading frame (ORF) was cloned and the plant expression vector pBI121-CMO was constructed. It was transferred into tobacco ( Nicotiana tabacum L. ev. 89) via Agrobacterium mediation. PCR and Southern blotting analysis showed that the CMO gene was integrated into tobacco genome. Transgenic tobacco plants contained higher amount of betaine than that of control plants and were able to survive on MS medium containing 250 mmol/L NaCl. Relative electronic conductivity demonstrated less membrane damage in transgenic plants as in the wild type.

Relationship Between Polyamine Metabolism in Roots and Salt Tolerance of Barley Seedlings

Plant growth rate (GR), contents of free polyamines (fPAs) and bound polyamines (bPAs) and activities of some key enzymes involved in polyamine (PA) metabolism in the roots of two barley (Hordeum valgare L.) cultivars differing in salt sensitivity were investigated with 0-300 mmol/L NaCl treatments. With 0-200 mmol/L NaCl treatments, activities of arginine decarboxylase (ADC) and transglutaminase (TGase) and PA oxidase (PAO) in the roots of barley seedlings all increased, while TGase and PAO activities decreased slightly at 300 mmol/L NaCl. As a result, free Put (fPut) content increased continuously with increasing concentrations of NaCl, while levels of free Spd (fSpd) and an unknown PA (fPAx) and bPAs (bPut, bSpd and bPAx), as well as (fSpd + fPAx)/fPut ratio rose at 50-200 mmol/L NaCl and reduced at 300 mmol/L NaCl. However, no significant change in the tetra-amine spermine (Spin) content was observed. Statistical analysis showed that GR was very significantly positively correlated with (fSpd + fPAx)/fPut ratios and the contents of bPAs, whereas a significant inverse correlation existed between GR and the ratios of fPA contents to bPA levels. These results showed that, under salt stress, the balance between fSpd, fPAx and fPut levels and an equipoise between fPA and bPA contents in roots were important to salt tolerance of barley seedlings.

Comparison of Some Characteristics Between Phragmites communis and Its Salt Tolerant Variant

R5002_12, a salt tolerant line of Phragmites communis Trin., which was obtained from ethyl methane sulfonate (EMS) treated callus selected under saline stress, was compared with its wild line in respect to their molecular biological, physiological and biochemical characterizations. Five arbitrary primers were screened which showed differences in DNA amplified polymorphism between the variant and its wild line. Some new proteins appeared in the salt tolerant plant under salt stress. Electrophoresis of peroxidase and esterase also showed some differences in isozyme expression between them. The chlorophyll content of the variant was higher than that of the original variety, whether the plants were under salt stress or not.

Application of Fuzzy Comprehensive Evaluation Method Based on Entropy Weight Theory in Evaluation of Salt Tolerance of Cotton

[Objective] The aim was to propose a new entropy weight fuzzy compre- hensive evaluation method for assessing cotton salt tolerance, realizing the objective, accurate and comprehensive evaluation of salt tolerance of cotton. [Method] A sand culture experiment under salt stress of 150 mmol/L of NaCI was designed. The in- dicator weight was determined with the entropy weight fuzzy comprehensive evalu- ation method, based on the salt injury index of indicators. The salt tolerance of cotton was evaluated comprehensively. [Result] At the germination stage, the entropy and weight of salt injury index of germination energy, vigor index, hypocotyl length and fresh weight were highest, followed by germination rate and germination index, and of root length were lowest. At the seedling stage, the entropy and weight of salt injury index of plasma membrane permeability, root vigor and leaf expansion rate were highest, followed by plant height and net photosynthetic rate, and of shoot dry weight and root dry weight were lowest. The salt tolerance of cotton differed a- mong growth stages and cultivars. Among the 11 cultivars, CCRI-44 and CCRI-75 were steadily salt-tolerant at both germination and seedling stages; CCRI-17, Sumi- an 22, Sumian 15 and Dexiamianl had a stable moderate salt tolerance; while Sumian 12 and Simian 3 were steadily salt-sensitive. [Conclusion] The evaluated result was objective and exact, which indicated that this method could be used in comprehensive evaluation of salt tolerance of cotton.

Screening and Evaluation of Salt Tolerant Varieties in Peanut

The selection and application of salt tolerance varieties in peanut is impor- tant for the exploitation of saline soil. In this study, 41 peanut varieties were select- ed for the evaluation of salt tolerance in both germination and young seedling stage. The results showed the germination and growth of peanut were significantly inhibited by salt stress, which were enhanced by salt concentration increasing. The 0.5% NaCI was selected as the most suitable concentration for further identification, and the characters in germination stage （including the relative germination potential, relative germination rate and germination index） and young seedling stage （including relative main root length, seedling height, fresh weight, dry weight, et aL） were measured. Cluster analysis showed the varieties could be divided into different groups, and 9 and 3 salt-tolerant varieties were identified in the two stages, respec- tively, including two varieties performed well in both two stages, which could be useful for the breeding of new salt tolerance varieties and the study of salt toler- ance mechanism.

Winter Wheat Salt Tolerance Appraisal Indices with Varied Mineral Content of Saline Water

[Objective] The aim was to study wheat salt resistance appraisal indicators under the condition of saline water irrigation.[Method] A trial was conducted with five varieties irrigated with saline water at 1,2,4,6,and 8 g/L during 2009-2010 and 2010-2011 in the research station of Dry-land Farming Institute of Hebei Academy of Agricultural and Forestry Sciences.With standardized indicators for measuring treatment,the response relations among different salt stress levels and winter wheat growth index were analyzed in this study.[Result] Under the condition of different salinity of irrigation,relative plant height after jointing stage,relative leaf area index,relative dry matter weight,relative ear number per unit area showed significant differences among treatments and yield showed significant correlation,which can be taken as salt-resistance examination index of wheat.[Conclusion] The results showed that the relative height after jointing stage was recommended as the most practical salt-tolerance appraisal indices,because it was easy to be observed and sensitive to salt stress.

On the Identification and Evaluation of Salt Tolerance of Peanut Germplasm

For screening out salt tolerance germplasm and providing materials for ge- netic research of peanut, based on the indexes including relative germination poten- tial, relative germination rate, relative germination index and salt-injury rate, 128 peanut germplasms were selected for salt-tolerant identification and estimation under 2.5% NaCI. We found significant but various depressing levels of germination rate under salt stress among different germplasms, and only 5% of 128 germplasms were highly resistant to salinity. We also found that the relative germination index was a useful evaluation index for salt tolerance besides salt damage rate and rela- tive germination rate. After all, we comprehensively screened out 7 materials （JS011, JS024, JS125, JS491, JS523, JS524 and JS525） as salt tolerance germplasms for further research. Key

Plant salt tolerance and Na^+ sensing and transport

Salinity is a global challenge to agricultural production. Understanding Na^+ sensing and transport in plants under salt stress will be of benefit for breeding robustly salt-tolerant crop species. In this review, first, possible salt stress sensor candidates and the root meristem zone as a tissue harboring salt stress-sensing components are proposed. Then,the importance of Na^+ exclusion and vacuolar Na^+ sequestration in plant overall salt tolerance is highlighted. Other Na^+ regulation processes, including xylem Na^+ loading and unloading, phloem Na^+ recirculation, and Na^+ secretion, are discussed and summarized.Along with a summary of Na^+ transporters and channels, the molecular regulation of Na^+ transporters and channels in response to salt stress is discussed. Finally, some largely neglected issues in plant salt stress tolerance, including Na^+ concentration in cytosol and the role of Na^+ as a nutrient, are reviewed and discussed.

Mechanism of Salt Tolerance in Rice

Shaheen Basma ti was evolved as a salt tolerant fine rice va riety by the Soil Salinity Research Institute,Pindi Bhattian, Pakistan. Water culture studies were conducted to investigate the physiological mechanismexercised by this variety in particular and rice plant in general to face the saline environment. Performanceof this rice variety and the concentration and uptake of ions were studied under stress of three salinity levels(30, 60 and 90 mmol L-1) created with NaCl. Recorded data indicated that shoot dry matter was notsignificantly affected by all the three levels of salinity. However, NaCl levels of 60 and 90 mmol L-1 affectedthe root dry matter significantly. Sodium concentration and uptake was enhanced significantly in root andshoot at the first level of salinity (30 mmol L-1) but thereafter the differences were non-significant, indicatingthe preferential absorption of this cation. The K concentration decreased significantly in shoots at all thelevels. The impact was less pronounced in roots as far as K absorption was concerned. The effect on Ca andMg concentrations was not significant. The values of K:Na, Ca:Na and (Ca+Mg):Na ratios in shoot and rootwere comparatively low under stress conditions, indicating that selective ion absorption may be the principalsalt tolerance mechanism of variety Shaheen Basmati when grown in a saline medium.

Salt tolerance in rice:Physiological responses and molecular mechanisms

Crop yield loss due to soil salinization is an increasing threat to agriculture worldwide.Salt stress drastically affects the growth,development,and grain productivity of rice(Oryza sativa L.),and the improvement of rice tolerance to salt stress is a desirable approach for meeting increasing food demand.The main contributors to salt toxicity at a global scale are Na^(+)and Cl^(-)ions,which affect up to 50%of irrigated soils.Plant responses to salt stress occur at the organismic,cellular,and molecular levels and are pleiotropic,involving(1)maintenance of ionic homeostasis,(2)osmotic adjustment,(3)ROS scavenging,and(4)nutritional balance.In this review,we discuss recent research progress on these four aspects of plant physiological response,with particular attention to hormonal and gene expression regulation and salt tolerance signaling pathways in rice.The information summarized here will be useful for accelerating the breeding of salt-tolerant rice.

Inheritance of Rice Seed Germination Ability under Salt Stress

A population of recombinant inbred lines （RILs, F2：9）, derived from a cross between IR26 （Oryza sativa subsp. indica） and Jiucaiqing （Oryza sativa subsp, japonica）, was used to identify seed germination ability of rice under 100 mmol/L NaCl for 10 days. Six germination traits including imbibition rate, germination rate, germination index, root length, shoot length and vigor index were investigated. A mixed major gene and polygene inheritance model was applied to conduct genetic analysis for germination ability. Significant differences were detected in all the germination traits under salt stress among RILs in rice, and the early germination stage （0-5 days） might be the salt sensitive stage. The frequency distributions of the germination traits under salt stress in the RIL population showed continuous segregation, suggesting that they were quantitative traits controlled by several genes. The germination traits under salt stress were regulated by two or three major genes plus polygene, and mainly dominated by major genes with high heritability values, accounting for 12.5%-99.0% of the total phenotypic variation. Each trait was controlled by the specific genetic model： imbibition rate was controlled by two major genes, germination index and vigor index by two major genes plus polygene, germination rate and shoot length by three major genes plus polygene, and root length by two major genes or two major genes plus polygene.

A New Transplanting Approach to Enhance Salt Tolerance of Tree Saplings

A field investigation was conducted to determine the survival and growth rate of eucalyptus (Eucalyptus camaldulensis Dehn.) and guava (Psidium guajava L.) saplings planted in salt-affected soils. The field used was highly saline-sodic in nature with a wide variation in electrical conductivity of the saturated soil extract (ECe), pHs, sodium adsorption ratio (SAR) and gypsum requirement (GR). A randomized complete block design was utilized with three treatments, i.e. T1 = plastic container bags totally removed, T2 = only the plastic container bag's base removed and T3 = plastic container bags un-removed. There were 34 and 8 plants in each block for eucalyptus and guava, correspondingly. The survival rates of eucalyptus and guava saplings were greater than 90%. In addition, gain in eucalyptus height was significantly higher in the T1 treatment where the bags were totally removed while for guava height the treatments were not significant.The gain in girth was not significant for both eucalyptus and guava saplings. With eucalyptus the taproot length was greater than the lateral roots while for guava the lateral roots were longer than the taproots.There was a decrease in the salinity-sodicity of the soils for the upper 30 cm depth under both types of vegetation, indicating that the salts had leached down to the B-horizon.

Gm NAC15 overexpression in hairy roots enhances salt tolerance in soybean

The NAC （NAM, ATAF1/2 and CUC2） transcription factor family plays a key role in plant development and responses to abiotic stress. GmNAC15 （Glyma 15g40510.1）, a member of the NAC transcription factor family in soybean, was functionally characterized, especially with regard to its role in salt tolerance. In the present study, qRT-PCR （quantitative reverse transcription PCR） analysis indicated that GmNAC15 was induced by salt, drought, low temperature stress, and ABA treatment in roots and leaves. GmNAC15 overexpression in soybean （Glycine max） hairy roots enhanced salt tolerance. Transgenic hairy roots improved the survival of wild leaves; however, overexpression of GmNAC15 in hairy root couldn＇t influnce the expression level of GmNAC15 in leaf. GmNAC15 regulates the expression levels of genes responsive to salt stress. Altogether, these results provide experimental evidence of the positive effect of GmNAC15 on salt tolerance in soybean and the potential application of genetic manipulation to enhance the salt tolerance of important crops.

Haplotype variations in QTL for salt tolerance in Chinese wheat accessions identified by marker-based and pedigree-based kinship analyses

Most modern wheat cultivars were selected on the basis of yield-related indices measured under optimal fertilizer and irrigation inputs.With climate change,land degradation and salinity caused by sea water encroachment,wheat is increasingly subjected to environmental stress.Moreover,expanding urbanization increasingly encroaches upon prime agricultural land in countries like China,and alternative cropping areas must be found.Some of these areas have moderate constraining factors,such as salinity.Therefore,it is important to investigate whether current genetic materials and breeding procedures are maintaining adequate variability to address future problems caused by abiotic stress.In this study,a panel of 307 wheat accessions,including local landraces,exotic cultivars used in Chinese breeding programs and Chinese cultivars released during different periods since1940,were subjected to a genome-wide association study to dissect the genetic basis of salinity tolerance.Both marker-based and pedigree-based kinship analyses revealed that favorable haplotypes were introduced in some exotic cultivars as well as a limited number of Chinese landraces from the 1940 s.However,improvements in salinity tolerance during modern breeding are not as obvious as that of yield.To broaden genetic diversity for increasing salt tolerance,there is a need to refocus attention on local landraces that have high degrees of salinity tolerance and carry rare favorable alleles that have not been exploited in breeding.

A wheat gene Ta SAP17-D encoding an AN1/AN1 zinc finger protein improves salt stress tolerance in transgenic Arabidopsis

The stress-associated protein （SAP） multigene family is conserved in both animals and plants. Its function in some an- imals and plants are known, but it is yet to be deciphered in wheat （Triticum aestivum L.）. We identified the wheat gene TaSAP17-D, a member of the SAP gene family with an AN1/AN1 conserved domain. Subcellular localization indicated that TaSAP17-D localized to the nucleus, cytoplasm, and cell membrane. Expression pattern analyses revealed that TaSAP17-D was highly expressed in seedlings and was involved in NaCI response, polyethylene glycol （PEG）, cold, and exogenous abscisic acid （ABA）. Constitutive expression of TaSAP17-D in transgenic Arabidopsis resulted in enhanced tolerance to salt stress, confirmed by improved multiple physiological indices and significantly upregulated marker genes related to salt stress response. Our results suggest that TaSAP17-D is a candidate gene that can be used to protect crop plants from salt stress.

Cloning and Characterization of a Salt Tolerance-Associated Gene Encoding Trehalose-6-Phosphate Synthase in Sweetpotato

Trehalose plays an important role in metabolic regulation and abiotic stress tolerance in a variety of organisms. In plants, its biosynthesis is catalyzed by two key enzymes： trehalose-6-phosphate synthase（TPS） and trehalose-6-phosphate phosphatase（TPP）. In the present study, a TPS gene, named IbTPS, was first isolated from sweetpotato（Ipomoea batatas（L.） Lam.） cv. Lushu 3 by rapid amplification of cDNA ends（RACE）. The open reading frame（ORF） contained 2 580 nucleotides encoding 859 amino acids with a molecular weight of 97.433 kDa and an isoelectric point（pI） of 5.7. The deduced amino acid sequence showed high identities with TPS of other plants. Real-time quantitative PCR analysis revealed that the expression level of IbTPS gene was significantly higher in stems of Lushu 3 than in its leaves and roots. Subcellular localization analysis in onion epidermal cells indicated that IbTPS gene was located in the nucleus. Transgenic tobacco（cv. Wisconsin 38） plants over-expressing IbTPS gene exhibited significantly higher salt tolerance compared with the control plant. Trehalose and proline content was found to be significantly more accumulated in transgenic tobacco plants than in the wild-type and several stress tolerance related genes were up-regulated. These results suggest that IbTPS gene may enhance salt tolerance of plants by increasing the amount of treahalose and proline and regulating the expression of stress tolerance related genes.

ZmWRKY104 positively regulates salt tolerance by modulating ZmSOD4 expression in maize

Salinity impairs plant growth, limiting agricultural development. It is desirable to identify genes responding to salt stress and their mechanism of action. We identified a function of the Zea mays WRKY transcription factor, Zm WRKY104, in salt stress response. Zm WRKY104 was localized in the nucleus and showed transcriptional activation activity. Phenotypic and physiological analysis showed that overexpression of Zm WRKY104 in maize increased the tolerance of maize to salt stress and alleviated salt-induced increases in O;accumulation, malondialdehyde(MDA) content, and percent of electrolyte leakage. Further investigation showed that Zm WRKY104 increased SOD activity by regulating Zm SOD4 expression. Yeast onehybrid, electrophoretic mobility shift test, and chromatin immunoprecipitation–quantitative PCR assay showed that Zm WRKY104 bound directly to the promoter of Zm SOD4 by recognizing the W-box motif in vivo and in vitro. Phenotypic, physiological, and biochemical analysis showed that Zm SOD4 increased salt tolerance by alleviating salt-induced increases in O;accumulation, MDA content, and percent of electrolyte leakage under salt stress. Taken together, our results indicate that Zm WRKY104 positively regulates Zm SOD4 expression to modulate salt-induced O;accumulation, MDA content, and percent of electrolyte leakage, thus affecting salt stress response in maize.