Open Access

ARTICLE

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

by Ashaduzzaman Sagar¹, Md. Sabibul Haque¹, Md. Alamgir Hossain¹, Md. Nesar Uddin¹, Jannat E. Tajkia¹, Md. Ashik Mia¹, Toufika Hossain Shabi², Md. Solaiman Ali Fakir¹, Md. Abdul Kader^3,4,5, Walid Soufan⁶, Md. Atikur Rahman⁷, Muhammad Aamir Iqbal⁸, Mohammad Sohidul Islam⁹, Ayman El Sabagh^10,*, A. K. M. Zakir Hossain^1,*

1 Department of Crop Botany, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh, 2202, Bangladesh
2 Planning and Development Division, Bangladesh Institute of Nuclear Agriculture, Mymensingh, 2202, Bangladesh
3 Department of Soil Science, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh, 2202, Bangladesh
4 Agriculture and Food Technology Discipline, School of Agriculture, Geography, Environment, Ocean and Natural Sciences, University of the South Pacific, Samoa
5 Agriculture Discipline, College of Science, Health, Engineering and Education, Murdoch University, Perth, WA 6150, Australia
6 Plant Production Department, College of Food and Agriculture, King Saud University, Riyadh, 11451, Saudi Arabia
7 Grassland and Forage Division, National Institute of Animal Science, Rural Development Administration, Cheonan, 31000, Korea
8
Department of Agronomy, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Poonch Rawalakot, Rawalakot, 12350, Pakistan 9 Department of Agronomy, Hajee Mohammad Danesh Science and Technology University, Dinajpur, Bangladesh
10 Faculty of Agriculture, Kafrelsheikh University, Kafrelsheikh, 33516, Egypt

* Corresponding Authors: Ayman El Sabagh. Email: ; A. K. M. Zakir Hossain. Email:

Phyton-International Journal of Experimental Botany 2023, 92(8), 2349-2368. https://doi.org/10.32604/phyton.2023.028974

Received 30 January 2023; Accepted 12 April 2023; Issue published 25 June 2023

Abstract

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 plant fitness 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 concentrations (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. These findings open new research avenues for salt stress alleviation by identifying elite salt-tolerant genotypes of sorghum for breeding programs.

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