Salinity Stress Tolerance in Plants

A special issue of Plants (ISSN 2223-7747). This special issue belongs to the section "Plant Response to Abiotic Stress and Climate Change".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (10 February 2023) | Viewed by 29364

Special Issue Editor

Department of Soil Science, College of Postgraduates in Agricultural Sciences, Campus Montecillo, Montecillo, Texcoco 56264, Mexico
Interests: abiotic stress; salt stress tolerance; salt-stress tolerant genotypes; salt-stress tolerance mechanisms; biotechnology; nutrient use efficiency during salt stress; essential nutrients; beneficial elements; biostimulation; secondary metabolism
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

According to FAO estimates, globally, saline and sodic soils cover 397 million and 434 million hectares, respectively. Furthermore, more than 1000 million hectares of agricultural land are facing increasing constraints induced by salt stress, a problem that is being aggravated by the impact of global climate change. Since salt stress affects plant germination, growth, and productivity, it is considered a serious threat to agriculture. The extent to which a plant is affected by salinity mainly depends on the species, but other factors including soil attributes, water, and climatic conditions also affect a plant’s ability to tolerate salinity stress.

In this Special Issue of Plants, we welcome research articles that document exciting discoveries on the induced or natural variation of plant genotypes to cope with salt stress. Novel approaches covering molecular biology, biochemistry, physiology, genetics, cell biology, genetic transformation, modern omics, genome editing, and bioinformatics technologies are also invited. In particular, this Special Issue is also open to research articles on the impact of essential nutrients and biostimulants on the biochemical, physiological, and molecular mechanisms of plants to deal with salt stress, and on the effects of salinity on plant nutrient status. Critical reviews on these topics are also welcome in this Special Issue.

Dr. LIBIA I TREJO-TÉLLEZ
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • saline soils
  • sodic soils
  • genotype screening
  • saltwater intrusion
  • salt tolerance
  • omics
  • plant nutrition biostimulation
  • biotechnology

Published Papers (16 papers)

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Editorial

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4 pages, 222 KiB  
Editorial
Salinity Stress Tolerance in Plants
by Libia Iris Trejo-Téllez
Plants 2023, 12(20), 3520; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12203520 - 10 Oct 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1052
Abstract
Soil salinization negatively impacts plant development and induces land degradation, thus affecting biodiversity, water quality, crop production, farmers’ well-being, and the economic situation in the affected region. Plant germination, growth, and productivity are vital processes impaired by salinity stress; thus, it is considered [...] Read more.
Soil salinization negatively impacts plant development and induces land degradation, thus affecting biodiversity, water quality, crop production, farmers’ well-being, and the economic situation in the affected region. Plant germination, growth, and productivity are vital processes impaired by salinity stress; thus, it is considered a serious threat to agriculture. The extent to which a plant is affected by salinity depends mainly on the species, but other factors, including soil attributes, water, and climatic conditions, also affect a plant’s ability to tolerate salinity stress. Unfortunately, this phenomenon is expected to be exacerbated further by climate change. Consequently, studies on salt stress tolerance in plants represent an important theme for the present Special Issue of Plants. The present Special Issue contains 14 original contributions that have documented novel discoveries regarding induced or natural variations in plant genotypes to cope with salt stress, including molecular biology, biochemistry, physiology, genetics, cell biology, modern omics, and bioinformatic approaches. This Special Issue also includes the impact of biostimulants on the biochemical, physiological, and molecular mechanisms of plants to deal with salt stress and on the effects of salinity on plant nutrient status. We expect that readers and academia will benefit from all the articles included in this Special Issue. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Salinity Stress Tolerance in Plants)

Research

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20 pages, 5017 KiB  
Article
Distinguishing the Effects of Stress Intensity and Stress Duration in Plant Responses to Salinity
by Caitlin DiCara and Keryn Gedan
Plants 2023, 12(13), 2522; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12132522 - 01 Jul 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1187
Abstract
Species-specific variation in response to stress is a key driver of ecological patterns. As climate change alters stress regimes, coastal plants are experiencing intensifying salinity stress due to sea-level rise and more intense storms. This study investigates the variation in species’ responses to [...] Read more.
Species-specific variation in response to stress is a key driver of ecological patterns. As climate change alters stress regimes, coastal plants are experiencing intensifying salinity stress due to sea-level rise and more intense storms. This study investigates the variation in species’ responses to presses and pulses of salinity stress in five glycophytic and five halophytic species to determine whether salinity intensity, duration, or their interaction best explain patterns of survival and performance. In salinity stress exposure experiments, we manipulated the intensity and duration of salinity exposure to challenge species’ expected salinity tolerances. Salinity intensity best explained patterns of survival in glycophytic species, while the interaction between intensity and duration was a better predictor of survival in halophytic species. The interaction between intensity and duration also best explained biomass and chlorophyll production for all tested species. There was interspecific variability in the magnitude of the interactive effect of salinity intensity and duration, with some glycophytic species (Persicaria maculosa, Sorghum bicolor, and Glycine max) having a more pronounced, negative biomass response. For the majority of species, prolonged stress duration exacerbated the negative effect of salinity intensity on biomass. We also observed an unexpected, compensatory response in chlorophyll production in two species, Phragmites australis and Kosteletzkya virginica, for which the effect of salinity intensity on chlorophyll became more positive with increasing duration. We found the regression coefficient of salinity intensity versus biomass at the highest stress duration, i.e., as a press stressor, to be a useful indicator of salinity tolerance, for which species’ salinity-tolerance levels matched those in the literature. In conclusion, by measuring species-specific responses to stress exposure, we were able to visualize the independent and interactive effects of two components of a salinity stress regime, intensity, and duration, to reveal how species’ responses vary in magnitude and by tolerance class. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Salinity Stress Tolerance in Plants)
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13 pages, 3286 KiB  
Article
LeGRXS14 Reduces Salt Stress Tolerance in Arabidopsis thaliana
by Lulu Liu, Xiaofei Li, Mengke Su, Jiaping Shi, Qing Zhang and Xunyan Liu
Plants 2023, 12(12), 2320; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12122320 - 15 Jun 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 850 | Correction
Abstract
Salt stress represents a significant abiotic stressor for plants and poses a severe threat to agricultural productivity. Glutaredoxins (GRXs) are small disulfide reductases that can scavenge cellular reactive oxygen species and are crucial for plant growth and development, particularly under stressful circumstances. Although [...] Read more.
Salt stress represents a significant abiotic stressor for plants and poses a severe threat to agricultural productivity. Glutaredoxins (GRXs) are small disulfide reductases that can scavenge cellular reactive oxygen species and are crucial for plant growth and development, particularly under stressful circumstances. Although CGFS-type GRXs were found to be involved in various abiotic stresses, the intrinsic mechanism mediated by LeGRXS14, a tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) CGFS-type GRX, is not yet fully understood. We discovered that LeGRXS14 is relatively conserved at the N-terminus and exhibits an increase in expression level under salt and osmotic stress conditions in tomatoes. The expression levels of LeGRXS14 in response to osmotic stress peaked relatively rapidly at 30 min, while the response to salt stress only peaked at 6 h. We constructed LeGRXS14 overexpression Arabidopsis thaliana (OE) lines and confirmed that LeGRXS14 is located on the plasma membrane, nucleus, and chloroplasts. In comparison to the wild-type Col-0 (WT), the OE lines displayed greater sensitivity to salt stress, resulting in a profound inhibition of root growth under the same conditions. Analysis of the mRNA levels of the WT and OE lines revealed that salt stress-related factors, such as ZAT12, SOS3, and NHX6, were downregulated. Based on our research, it can be concluded that LeGRXS14 plays a significant role in plant tolerance to salt. However, our findings also suggest that LeGRXS14 may act as a negative regulator in this process by exacerbating Na+ toxicity and the resulting oxidative stress. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Salinity Stress Tolerance in Plants)
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12 pages, 1417 KiB  
Article
Physiological Responses of Two Olive Cultivars to Salt Stress
by Olfa Boussadia, Hatem Zgallai, Nada Mzid, Rihem Zaabar, Mohamed Braham, Georgios Doupis and Georgios Koubouris
Plants 2023, 12(10), 1926; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12101926 - 09 May 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1288
Abstract
The olive tree (Olea europaea L.) is the main fruit tree in most of the arid and semi-arid regions of Tunisia, which is where the problem of salinity is more pronounced. Salinity is one of the main factors that affects the productivity [...] Read more.
The olive tree (Olea europaea L.) is the main fruit tree in most of the arid and semi-arid regions of Tunisia, which is where the problem of salinity is more pronounced. Salinity is one of the main factors that affects the productivity of olive trees, so the objective of this experiment was to study the effects of salinity on the photosynthesis, water relations, mineral status, and enzymatic activity of two cultivars of Olea europaea L., ‘Chemlali’ and ‘Koroneiki’. The trial was conducted under controlled conditions in a greenhouse for a period of 49 days and included two treatments: T0 control and T100 (irrigation with 100 mM of NaCl solution). Under salinity stress, the photosynthesis, stomatal conductance, and leaves of both cultivars were negatively affected. ‘Chemlali’ showed greater tolerance to NaCl salinity, based on a progressive decrease in osmotic potential (Ψπ) followed by a progressive and synchronous decrease in gs, without a comparable decrease in photosynthesis. The water use efficiency (WUE) improved as a result. In addition, the K+/Na+ ratio in ‘Chemlali’ rose. This appears to be crucial for managing stress. Conversely, enzymatic activity showed an accumulation of glutathione peroxidase (GPX) in stressed plants. The catalase (CAT) and ascorbate peroxidase (APX) content decreased in both stressed varieties. It can be concluded that the cultivar ‘Koroneiki’ is more susceptible to salt stress than the cultivar ‘Chemlali’, because the accumulation of GPX and the decreases in CAT and APX were more pronounced in this cultivar. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Salinity Stress Tolerance in Plants)
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15 pages, 3771 KiB  
Article
The Salt Tolerance–Related Protein (STRP) Is a Positive Regulator of the Response to Salt Stress in Arabidopsis thaliana
by Anna Fiorillo, Michela Manai, Sabina Visconti and Lorenzo Camoni
Plants 2023, 12(8), 1704; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12081704 - 20 Apr 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1517
Abstract
Salt stress is a major abiotic stress limiting plant survival and crop productivity. Plant adaptation to salt stress involves complex responses, including changes in gene expression, regulation of hormone signaling, and production of stress-responsive proteins. The Salt Tolerance–Related Protein (STRP) has been recently [...] Read more.
Salt stress is a major abiotic stress limiting plant survival and crop productivity. Plant adaptation to salt stress involves complex responses, including changes in gene expression, regulation of hormone signaling, and production of stress-responsive proteins. The Salt Tolerance–Related Protein (STRP) has been recently characterized as a Late Embryogenesis Abundant (LEA)–like, intrinsically disordered protein involved in plant responses to cold stress. In addition, STRP has been proposed as a mediator of salt stress response in Arabidopsis thaliana, but its role has still to be fully clarified. Here, we investigated the role of STRP in salt stress responses in A. thaliana. The protein rapidly accumulates under salt stress due to a reduction of proteasome–mediated degradation. Physiological and biochemical responses of the strp mutant and STRP–overexpressing (STRP OE) plants demonstrate that salt stress impairs seed germination and seedling development more markedly in the strp mutant than in A. thaliana wild type (wt). At the same time, the inhibitory effect is significantly reduced in STRP OE plants. Moreover, the strp mutant has a lower ability to counteract oxidative stress, cannot accumulate the osmocompatible solute proline, and does not increase abscisic acid (ABA) levels in response to salinity stress. Accordingly, the opposite effect was observed in STRP OE plants. Overall, obtained results suggest that STRP performs its protective functions by reducing the oxidative burst induced by salt stress, and plays a role in the osmotic adjustment mechanisms required to preserve cellular homeostasis. These findings propose STRP as a critical component of the response mechanisms to saline stress in A. thaliana. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Salinity Stress Tolerance in Plants)
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16 pages, 3335 KiB  
Article
Antifungal Activity and Alleviation of Salt Stress by Volatile Organic Compounds of Native Pseudomonas Obtained from Mentha piperita
by Samanta Soledad Gil, Lorena del Rosario Cappellari, Walter Giordano and Erika Banchio
Plants 2023, 12(7), 1488; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12071488 - 29 Mar 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1704
Abstract
As salt stress has a negative impact on plant growth and crop yield, it is very important to identify and develop any available biotechnology which can improve the salt tolerance of plants. Inoculation with plant-growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) is a proven environmentally friendly biotechnological [...] Read more.
As salt stress has a negative impact on plant growth and crop yield, it is very important to identify and develop any available biotechnology which can improve the salt tolerance of plants. Inoculation with plant-growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) is a proven environmentally friendly biotechnological resource for increasing the salt stress tolerance of plants and has a potential in-field application. In addition, bacterial volatile organic compounds (mVOCs) are signal molecules that may have beneficial roles in the soil–plant–microbiome ecosystem. We investigated the effects of mVOCs emitted by Pseudomona putida SJ46 and SJ04 on Mentha piperita grown under different levels of NaCl stress by evaluating their growth-promoting potential and capacity to increase salt tolerance effects. Furthermore, we evaluated under control and salt stress conditions the biocontrol ability of VOCs emitted by both these strains to inhibit the growth of Alternaria alternata and Sclerotium rolfsii. The VOCs emitted by both strains under control conditions did not lead to an significant improvement in peppermint growth. However, under salt stress conditions (75 or 100 mM NaCl), an amelioration of its physiological status was observed, with this effect being greater at 100 mM NaCl. This led to an enhancement of the number of leaves and nodes and, increased the shoot fresh and root dry weight by approximately twice in relation to control stressed plants. Moreover, the VOCs released by the two bacteria grown in control or saline media showed a significant reduction in the mycelial growth of A. alternata. In contrast, S. rolfsii growth was reduced 40% by the mVOCs released only under control conditions, with no effects being observed under salt stress. We also explored the composition of the bacterial volatile profiles by means of a solid-phase microextraction/gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (SPME/GC–MS) analysis. From the headspace of SJ46, three VOCs were identified: n-octanol, decane and tetradecane. The emission of SJ04 had the same chromatographic profile, with the addition of two more compounds: 1-(N-phenyl carbamyl)-2-morpholino cyclohexene and tridecane. Only compounds that were not present in the headspace of the control groups were recorded. The salt stress conditions where the bacteria were grown did not qualitatively modify the mVOC emissions. Taken together, our results suggest that plant-associated rhizobacterial VOCs play a potentially important role in modulating plant salt tolerance and reducing fungal growth. Thus, biological resources represent novel tools for counteracting the deleterious effects of salt stress and have the potential to be exploited in sustainable agriculture. Nevertheless, future studies are necessary to investigate technological improvements for bacterial VOC application under greenhouse and open field conditions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Salinity Stress Tolerance in Plants)
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10 pages, 851 KiB  
Communication
Evaluation of Amino Acid Profiles of Rice Genotypes under Different Salt Stress Conditions
by Muhammad Farooq, Yoon-Hee Jang, Eun-Gyeong Kim, Jae-Ryoung Park, Gyu-Hyeon Eom, Dan-Dan Zhao and Kyung-Min Kim
Plants 2023, 12(6), 1315; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12061315 - 14 Mar 2023
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 1613
Abstract
Amino acids are building blocks of proteins that are essential components of a wide range of metabolic pathways in plant species, including rice species. Previous studies only considered changes in the amino acid content of rice under NaCl stress. Here, we evaluated profiles [...] Read more.
Amino acids are building blocks of proteins that are essential components of a wide range of metabolic pathways in plant species, including rice species. Previous studies only considered changes in the amino acid content of rice under NaCl stress. Here, we evaluated profiles of essential and non-essential amino acids in four rice genotype seedlings in the presence of three types of salts, namely NaCl, CaCl2, and MgCl2. Amino acid profiles in 14-day-old rice seedlings were determined. The total essential and non-essential amino acid contents in cultivar Cheongcheong were considerably increased upon NaCl and MgCl2 application, whereas total amino acids were increased upon NaCl, CaCl2, and MgCl2 application in the cultivar Nagdong. The total amino acid content was significantly lower in the salt-sensitive cultivar IR28 and salt-tolerant Pokkali under different salt stress conditions. Glycine was not detected in any of the rice genotypes. We observed that cultivars with the same origin respond similarly to each other under salinity stress conditions: cultivars Cheongcheong and Nagdong were found to show increased total amino acid content, whereas the content in foreign cultivars IR28 and Pokkali was found to decrease. Thus, our findings showed that the amino acid profile of each rice cultivar might depend on the origin, immune level, and genetic makeup of the respective cultivar. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Salinity Stress Tolerance in Plants)
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13 pages, 3073 KiB  
Article
Separate Effects of Sodium on Germination in Saline–Sodic and Alkaline Forms at Different Concentrations
by Yasmeen Hitti, Sarah MacPherson and Mark Lefsrud
Plants 2023, 12(6), 1234; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12061234 - 08 Mar 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1204
Abstract
Salinity negatively impacts crop productivity, yet neutral and alkali salt stresses are not often differentiated. To investigate these abiotic stresses separately, saline and alkaline solutions with identical concentrations of sodium (12 mM, 24 mM and 49 mM) were used to compare the seed [...] Read more.
Salinity negatively impacts crop productivity, yet neutral and alkali salt stresses are not often differentiated. To investigate these abiotic stresses separately, saline and alkaline solutions with identical concentrations of sodium (12 mM, 24 mM and 49 mM) were used to compare the seed germination, viability and biomass of four crop species. Commercial buffers containing NaOH were diluted to generate alkaline solutions. The sodic solutions tested contained the neutral salt NaCl. Romaine lettuce, tomato, beet, and radish were seeded and grown hydroponically for 14 days. A rapid germination was observed for alkaline solutions when compared to saline–sodic solutions. The highest plant viability recorded (90.0%) was for the alkaline solution, containing 12 mM Na+, and for the control treatment. Plant viability, with a value of 49 mM Na+ in saline–sodic and alkaline solutions, was the lowest (50.0% and 40.8% respectively), and tomato plants did not germinate. EC values were higher for the saline–sodic solutions than the alkaline solutions, yielding greater fresh mass per plant for all species, with the exception of beets grown in alkaline solution, with a value of 24 mM Na+. The fresh mass of romaine lettuce grown in the 24 mM Na+ saline–sodic solution was significantly greater than romaine lettuce grown in the alkaline solution with the same sodium concentration. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Salinity Stress Tolerance in Plants)
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18 pages, 3307 KiB  
Article
A Plant Biostimulant from Ascophyllum nodosum Potentiates Plant Growth Promotion and Stress Protection Activity of Pseudomonas protegens CHA0
by Jai Singh Patel, Vinodkumar Selvaraj, Prashant More, Ramin Bahmani, Tudor Borza and Balakrishnan Prithiviraj
Plants 2023, 12(6), 1208; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12061208 - 07 Mar 2023
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 1867
Abstract
Abiotic stresses, including salinity stress, affect numerous crops, causing yield reduction, and, as a result, important economic losses. Extracts from the brown alga Ascophyllum nodosum (ANE), and compounds secreted by the Pseudomonas protegens strain, CHA0, can mitigate these effects by inducing tolerance against [...] Read more.
Abiotic stresses, including salinity stress, affect numerous crops, causing yield reduction, and, as a result, important economic losses. Extracts from the brown alga Ascophyllum nodosum (ANE), and compounds secreted by the Pseudomonas protegens strain, CHA0, can mitigate these effects by inducing tolerance against salt stress. However, the influence of ANE on P. protegens CHA0 secretion, and the combined effects of these two biostimulants on plant growth, are not known. Fucoidan, alginate, and mannitol are abundant components of brown algae and of ANE. Reported here are the effects of a commercial formulation of ANE, fucoidan, alginate, and mannitol, on pea (Pisum sativum), and on the plant growth-promoting activity of P. protegens CHA0. In most situations, ANE and fucoidan increased indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) and siderophore production, phosphate solubilization, and hydrogen cyanide (HCN) production by P. protegens CHA0. Colonization of pea roots by P. protegens CHA0 was found to be increased mostly by ANE and fucoidan in normal conditions and under salt stress. Applications of P. protegens CHA0 combined with ANE, or with fucoidan, alginate, and mannitol, generally augmented root and shoot growth in normal and salinity stress conditions. Real-time quantitative PCR analyses of P. protegens revealed that, in many instances, ANE and fucoidan enhanced the expression of several genes involved in chemotaxis (cheW and WspR), pyoverdine production (pvdS), and HCN production (hcnA), but gene expression patterns overlapped only occasionally those of growth-promoting parameters. Overall, the increased colonization and the enhanced activities of P. protegens CHA0 in the presence of ANE and its components mitigated salinity stress in pea. Among treatments, ANE and fucoidan were found responsible for most of the increased activities of P. protegens CHA0 and the improved plant growth. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Salinity Stress Tolerance in Plants)
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15 pages, 4951 KiB  
Article
Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi Induce Tolerance to Salinity Stress in Taro Plantlets (Colocasia esculenta L. Schott) during Acclimatization
by Obdulia Baltazar-Bernal, José Luis Spinoso-Castillo, Eucario Mancilla-Álvarez and Jericó Jabín Bello-Bello
Plants 2022, 11(13), 1780; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants11131780 - 05 Jul 2022
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2099
Abstract
Soil salinity is a problem that affects soil fertility and threatens agri-food crop production worldwide. Biotechnology, through plant micropropagation and the use of biofertilizers such as arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), is an alternative to increase productivity and induce tolerance to salinity stress in [...] Read more.
Soil salinity is a problem that affects soil fertility and threatens agri-food crop production worldwide. Biotechnology, through plant micropropagation and the use of biofertilizers such as arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), is an alternative to increase productivity and induce tolerance to salinity stress in different crops. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of different doses of the fungus Glomus intraradices on the ex vitro development of taro (Colocasia esculenta L. Schott cv. Criolla) plantlets under salinity stress during the acclimatization stage. In vitro-obtained C. esculenta plantlets were inoculated at different doses (0, 100, and 200 spores per plantlet) of G. intraradices during acclimatization. At 60 d of acclimatization in the greenhouse, plantlets were exposed to 100 mM NaCl salinity stress for 10 d. After the stress period, plantlet development, colonization percentage, and biomass were evaluated. In addition, the content of chlorophyll, carotenoids, proteins, proline, glycine-betaine, soluble phenols, and antioxidant capacity were quantified. The results showed differences in the developmental, physiological, and biochemical variables evaluated; however, no changes in total protein content were observed. Spore colonization showed that the symbiotic association has positive effects on the development of plantlets with or without salinity stress. This symbiotic interaction contributes to salinity stress tolerance in C. esculenta plantlets. The early application of AMF in in vitro-obtained taro plantlets is an alternative to increase or maintain the productivity of this crop in saline soils. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Salinity Stress Tolerance in Plants)
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20 pages, 3602 KiB  
Article
Physiology and Gene Expression Analysis of Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) in Salt Stress
by Qing Li, Yuzhi Qin, Xinxi Hu, Liping Jin, Guangcun Li, Zhenping Gong, Xingyao Xiong and Wanxing Wang
Plants 2022, 11(12), 1565; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants11121565 - 14 Jun 2022
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 1829
Abstract
The production of potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) faces a severe challenge due to the salinization of arable land worldwide. The cultivation of salt-tolerant potatoes is of great significance to ensure food security. In this study, two cultivars of ‘Longshu 5’ and ‘Qingshu [...] Read more.
The production of potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) faces a severe challenge due to the salinization of arable land worldwide. The cultivation of salt-tolerant potatoes is of great significance to ensure food security. In this study, two cultivars of ‘Longshu 5’ and ‘Qingshu 9’ were compared for physiological responses to salt stress, and then the salt tolerance of the two cultivars were assessed via principal component analysis. Furthermore, the Na+, K+, and Ca2+ flux of the cultivars under salt stress was recorded. Finally, the expression levels of ion transport-related genes and transcription factors in salt-tolerant cultivars were explored under NaCl stress. The results showed that the seven physiological indicators of salt tolerance were differed between the cultivars. Interestingly, soluble protein and sugar were early responsive to salt stress than proline in the salt-tolerance cultivar. Peroxidase and superoxide dismutase activity were significantly different in ‘Longshu 5’ under NaCl stress and without being significantly different in ‘Qingshu9’. In addition, the salt tolerance of ‘Longshu 5’ was more tolerant than ‘Qingshu 9’ based on principal component evaluation. Meanwhile, the strong efflux of Na+, the stability of K+, and the high absorption of Ca2+ in ‘Longshu 5’ indicated salt adaption mechanisms in the salt-tolerant potato. In addition, we found that ion transport-related genes and transcription factors, such as StSOS1, StNHX4, StAKT1, StNAC24, and StCYP707A, played a role in the salt tolerance of ‘Longshu 5’. In conclusion, the salt-tolerant potato can regulate physiological substances to adapt to salt stress, and ion transport related genes and transcription factors play a role in improving salt tolerance. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Salinity Stress Tolerance in Plants)
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11 pages, 1132 KiB  
Article
Nitric Oxide Improves Salt Tolerance of Cyclocarya paliurus by Regulating Endogenous Glutathione Level and Antioxidant Capacity
by Yang Liu, Yichao Yuan, Zhuoke Jiang and Songheng Jin
Plants 2022, 11(9), 1157; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants11091157 - 25 Apr 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1506
Abstract
Cyclocarya paliurus is commonly used to treat diabetes in China. However, the natural habitats of C. paliurus are typically affected by salt stress. Previous studies showed that nitric oxide (NO) level was related to salt tolerance of C. paliurus, and its synthesis [...] Read more.
Cyclocarya paliurus is commonly used to treat diabetes in China. However, the natural habitats of C. paliurus are typically affected by salt stress. Previous studies showed that nitric oxide (NO) level was related to salt tolerance of C. paliurus, and its synthesis was induced by exogenous hydrogen sulfide. However, the effects of different NO donors in alleviating the negative effect of salt stress are still unclear. In the present study, C. paliurus seedlings pretreated with three NO donors (S-nitroso-N-acetylpenicillamine, SNAP and S-nitrosoglutathione, GSNO and sodium nitroprusside, SNP) were exposed to salt stress, and then, the total biomass, chlorophyll fluorescence parameters, NO and glutathione levels, oxidative damage, and antioxidant enzyme activities were investigated. The results showed that pretreatment of NO donors maintained chlorophyll fluorescence and attenuated the loss of plant biomass under salt stress, and the best performance was observed in C. paliurus under SNP treatment. We also found that pretreatment of NO donors further increased the endogenous NO content and nitrate reductase (NR) activity compared with salt treatment. Moreover, pretreatment with NO donors, especially SNP, alleviated salt-induced oxidative damage, as indicated by lowered lipid peroxidation, through an enhanced antioxidant system including glutathione accumulation and increased antioxidant enzyme activities. The supply of NO donors is an interesting strategy for alleviating the negative effect of salt on C. paliurus. Our data provide new evidence contributing to the current understanding of NO-induced salt stress tolerance. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Salinity Stress Tolerance in Plants)
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17 pages, 386 KiB  
Article
Titanium Increases the Antioxidant Activity and Macronutrient Concentration in Tomato Seedlings Exposed to Salinity in Hydroponics
by Víctor Hugo Carbajal-Vázquez, Fernando Carlos Gómez-Merino, Ernesto Gabriel Alcántar-González, Prometeo Sánchez-García and Libia Iris Trejo-Téllez
Plants 2022, 11(8), 1036; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants11081036 - 11 Apr 2022
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2033
Abstract
Global climate change affects agriculture and tends to aggravate the effect of various environmental stress factors including soil salinity. Beneficial elements such as titanium (Ti) may improve the performance of plants facing restrictive environments such as saline soils. This research work evaluated the [...] Read more.
Global climate change affects agriculture and tends to aggravate the effect of various environmental stress factors including soil salinity. Beneficial elements such as titanium (Ti) may improve the performance of plants facing restrictive environments such as saline soils. This research work evaluated the individual effect of sodium chloride (0, 50, and 100 mM NaCl) in solution, that of leaf-applied Ti (0, 500, and 1000 mg L−1 Ti), and their interactions on physiological, biochemical, and nutritional variables of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) seedlings cv. Rio Grande in a factorial design in greenhouse hydroponics. NaCl reduced seedling height, stem diameter, leaf area, SPAD units, and sugar and K concentrations, and increased antioxidant activity in stems and roots, photosynthetic pigments, sugars. Titanium increased the N, P, K, Ca, Mg, and Ti concentrations in leaves, but the concentration of total sugars in leaves was reduced when applying 500 mg Ti L−1. Under moderate salinity conditions (50 mM NaCl) the application of Ti increased the antioxidant activity in roots, while, at all salinity levels tested, Ti increased the concentrations of macro-nutrients and Ti in leaves. Titanium is concluded to have a positive effect on the antioxidant activity and nutrition of seedlings under saline stress conditions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Salinity Stress Tolerance in Plants)
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18 pages, 1016 KiB  
Article
Salt Stress Differentially Affects the Primary and Secondary Metabolism of Peppers (Capsicum annuum L.) According to the Genotype, Fruit Part, and Salinity Level
by Tilen Zamljen, Aljaz Medic, Metka Hudina, Robert Veberic and Ana Slatnar
Plants 2022, 11(7), 853; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants11070853 - 23 Mar 2022
Cited by 19 | Viewed by 2468
Abstract
A total of four Capsicum annuum L. genotypes (‘Caro F1’, ‘Berenyi F1’, ‘Somborka’ and ‘Novosadka’) were exposed to two intensities of salt stress. We observed a significant decrease in the sugar content in all salt stressed treatments, except for the sucrose content of [...] Read more.
A total of four Capsicum annuum L. genotypes (‘Caro F1’, ‘Berenyi F1’, ‘Somborka’ and ‘Novosadka’) were exposed to two intensities of salt stress. We observed a significant decrease in the sugar content in all salt stressed treatments, except for the sucrose content of the pericarp of the ‘Caro F1’ cultivar. Salt stress had a largely negative effect on the total and individual organic acid content, although the effect differed among cultivars. Using high performance liquid chromatography coupled with a mass spectrometer, most phenolics were identified in the pericarp (18), followed by the placenta (7) and seeds (8). Treatment with 40 mM NaCl caused the highest increase in individual phenols, followed by treatment with 20 mM NaCl. The cultivar ‘Berenyi F1’ was less affected by salt stress treatment than the other three cultivars in terms of content of individual and total phenols. Salt stress increased the content of capsaicinoids in all the cultivars. The pericarp of the cultivar ‘Novosadka’ showed 17.5 and 50 times higher total capsaicinoid content than the control in the 20 mM and 40 mM NaCl, respectively. With the results of several metabolite groups, we confirmed that the reaction and metabolic content to salt stress within the genus Capsicum is genotype-, fruit part-, and salinity level-dependent. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Salinity Stress Tolerance in Plants)
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15 pages, 3325 KiB  
Article
Effect of Salt Stress and Foliar Application of Salicylic Acid on Morphological, Biochemical, Anatomical, and Productivity Characteristics of Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L.) Plants
by Ahmed M. El-Taher, Hany S. Abd El-Raouf, Nahid A. Osman, Samah N. Azoz, Magdy A. Omar, Amr Elkelish and Mahmoud A. M. Abd El-Hady
Plants 2022, 11(1), 115; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants11010115 - 31 Dec 2021
Cited by 40 | Viewed by 4785
Abstract
The present study aimed to investigate the impact of salinity on vegetative growth, chemical constituents, and yields of cowpeas (Vigna unguiculata) and the possible benefits of salicylic acid (SA) on these plants after damage from salinity. To achieve these objectives, two [...] Read more.
The present study aimed to investigate the impact of salinity on vegetative growth, chemical constituents, and yields of cowpeas (Vigna unguiculata) and the possible benefits of salicylic acid (SA) on these plants after damage from salinity. To achieve these objectives, two pot experiments were carried out at the Faculty of Agriculture, Al-Azhar University, Egypt, during the two growing seasons of 2019 and 2020. The results revealed that salinity significantly decreased, and SA treatment substantially increased the plant height, number of compound leaves, number of internodes per plant, fresh weights of leaves and stems, productivity, photosynthetic pigments content, and concentrations of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) of the cowpea plants compared with the control. The anatomical structure of stems and leaves of the plants were also investigated, and it was found that positive variations in the anatomical structure of the median portion of the main stems and blades of mature foliage leaves were detected in the stressed and SA-treated plants. In conclusion, SA treatment increased the salt stress tolerance of cowpea plants by improving the morphological and physiological attributes of the plants. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Salinity Stress Tolerance in Plants)
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1 pages, 161 KiB  
Correction
Correction: Liu et al. LeGRXS14 Reduces Salt Stress Tolerance in Arabidopsis thaliana. Plants 2023, 12, 2320
by Lulu Liu, Xiaofei Li, Mengke Su, Jiaping Shi, Qing Zhang and Xunyan Liu
Plants 2023, 12(23), 3987; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12233987 - 27 Nov 2023
Viewed by 335
Abstract
The authors wish to correct the following error in the original paper [...] Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Salinity Stress Tolerance in Plants)
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