Bhartiya Krishi Anusandhan Patrika

Salt tolerance potential of halophytic grasses – Phyto-remediation and Physiological perspectives

DOI: 10.18805/BKAP226    | Article Id: BKAP226 | Page : 165-169
Citation :- Salt tolerance potential of halophytic grasses – Phyto-remediation and Physiological perspectives.Bhartiya Krishi Anusandhan Patrika.2020.(35):165-169
Ashwani Kumar, Anita Mann, Arvind Kumar and B.L Meena Ashwani.Kumar1@icar.gov.in
Address : ICAR - Central Soil Salinity Research Institute, Karnal-132 001, India.
Submitted Date : 8-09-2020
Accepted Date : 5-10-2020
First Online:

Abstract

The experiment was conducted to explore salt tolerance potential of Urochondra setulosa and Sporobolus marginatus (collected from the extreme saline habitat of Rann of Kutch, Gujarat, India) and Leptochloa fusca (from RRS, CSSRI, Lucknow, India). The phytoremediation potential of these halophytes was quantified in terms of reduction in soil EC and pH. It was observed that mean soil pH values reduced from 9.5 to 9.13 and 10.0 to 9.51 whereas mean ECe values decreased from 30 to 19.7, 40 to 28.9 and 50 to 36.47, respectively at the harvest stage. In addition, the tolerance potential of these grasses towards salinity and sodicity was also explored through gas exchange attributes, K+/Na+ and biomass production etc. L. fusca and S. marginatus produced higher biomass under sodic condition while in U. setulosa it increased under salinity stress. Under sodic condition, L. fusca showed less reduction and maintained higher K+/Na+ in their leaf tissues. Based on these various indicators of stress tolerance, the three halophytes could be categorised as salt tolerant or alkaline stress tolerant.

Keywords

Halophytes Salinity stress Alkalinity stress K+/Na+ Gas exchange attributes

References

  1. Kumar A, Kumar A, Lata C and Kumar S (2016). Eco-physiological responses of Aeluropus lagopoides (grasshalophyte) and Suaeda nudiflora (non-grass halophyte) under individual and interactive sodic and salt stress. South African Journal of Botany 105: 36.
  2. Kumar A, Mann A, Kumar A, Devi S and Sharma PC (2018a). Po{tential and role of halophyte crops in saline environments. In: Engineering Practices for Management of Soil Salinity, Ed. Gupta SK, Goyal MR and Singh A. Apple Academic Press Inc., Canada, pp. 329-365.
  3. Kumar A, Kumar A, Kumar P, Lata C and Kumar S (2018b). Effect of individual and interactive alkalinity and salinity on physiological, biochemical and nutritional traits of Marvel grass. Indian Journal of Experimental Biology 56: 573-581.
  4. Kumar A, Mann A, Lata C, Kumar N and Sharma PC (2019). Salinity-induced Physiological and Molecular Responses of Halophytes. In: J.C. Dagar et al. (eds.), Research Developments in Saline Agriculture, Springer Nature, Singapore Pte Ltd., 331-356. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-5832-6_10.

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