Exploring salt sensitivity in berseem (Trifolium alexandrinum) through analysis of ROS-scavenging attributes
187 / 172
Authors
N JOHAL
Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, Punjab
Keywords:
Antioxidative potential, Correlation analysis, Growth stages, Principal component analysis, Salinity stressAbstract
Berseem (Trifolium alexandrinum L.) serves as an excellent fodder source, yet its limited salt tolerance restricts its cultivation. This study was carried out during 2022 and 2023 at Indian Institute of Technology, Ropar, Punjab to examine the impact of salinity stress (2.5, 5.0, and 6.5 dS/m) imposed at different growth stages (2-leaf, 6-leaf, and flowering) on berseem in a sensor-based lysimeter system. The control group was irrigated with tap water in and completely randomised block (CRD) design was followed. Growth attributes and antioxidative potential were assessed. The results revealed that salt stress significantly reduced plant height (by up to 33%), biomass (by up to 68%), and root length (by up to 59%), with the most severe decline observed at 6.5 dS/m at the 6-leaf stage. Pearson's correlation matrix indicated a strong positive correlation between H₂O₂ content and MDA (r = 0.78) and a moderate positive correlation with SOD (r = 0.58). The activities of antioxidative enzymes, peroxidase and superoxide dismutase, exhibited a significant up-regulation by 525% and 71%, respectively as salinity increased from control to 6.5 dS/m. Principal component analysis confirmed that the 6-leaf stage was the most salt-sensitive. The critical damage threshold for berseem was identified at salinity levels exceeding 5 dS/m.
Downloads
References
Abd el-naby Z M, Hafez W A E K and Hashem H A. 2019. Remediation of salt-affected soil by natural and chemical amendments to improve berseem clover yield and nutritive quality. African Journal of Range and Forage Science 36(1): 49–60. DOI: https://doi.org/10.2989/10220119.2018.1518929
Apel K and Hirt H. 2004. Reactive oxygen species: Metabolism, oxidative stress, and signal transduction. Annual Review of Plant Biology 55: 373–99. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.arplant.55.031903.141701
Ashraf M and Harris P J C. 2005. Abiotic Stresses: Plant Resistance through Breeding and Molecular Approaches. Haworth Press, New York.
Beauchamp C and Fridovich I. 1971. Superoxide dismutase: Improved assays and an assay applicable to acrylamide gels. Analytical Biochemistry 44: 276–87. https://doi. org/10.1016/0003-2697(71)90370-8 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/0003-2697(71)90370-8
Boelt B, Julier B, Karagic D and Hampton J. 2014. Legume seed production meeting market requirements and economic impacts. Critical Reviews in Plant Sciences 34: 412–27. https://doi.org/10.1080/07352689.2014.898477 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/07352689.2014.898477
Flowers T J and Colmer T D. 2015. Plant salt tolerance: Adaptations in halophytes. Annals of Botany 115(3): 327–31. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/aob/mcu267
Foyer C H and Noctor G. 2005. Redox homeostasis and antioxidant signaling: A metabolic interface between stress perception and physiological responses. The Plant Cell 17(7): 1866–75. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1105/tpc.105.033589
Gill S S and Tuteja N. 2010. Reactive oxygen species and antioxidant machinery in abiotic stress tolerance in crop plants. Plant Physiology and Biochemistry 48(12): 909–30. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.plaphy.2010.08.016
Gupta B and Huang B. 2014. Mechanism of salinity tolerance in plants: Physiological, biochemical, and molecular characterisation. International Journal of Genomics 2014(1): 701596. https://doi.org/10.1155/2014/701596 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1155/2014/701596
Hasanuzzaman M, Nahar K, Alam M M, Bhowmik P C, Hossain M A, Rahman M M, Prasad M N V, Ozturk M and Fujita M. 2014. Potential use of halophytes to remediate saline soils. BioMed Research International 2014(1): 589341. https://doi. org/10.1155/2014/589341 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1155/2014/589341
Hasanuzzaman M, Bhuyan M H M B, Zulfiqar F, Raza A, Mohsin S M, Mahmud J A, Fujita M and Fotopoulos V. 2020. Reactive oxygen species and antioxidant defense in plants under abiotic stress: Revisiting the crucial role of a universal defense regulator. Antioxidants 9: 681. https://doi.org/10.3390/ antiox9080681 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox9080681
Heath R L and Packer L. 1968. Photoperoxidation in isolated chloroplast: I. Kinetics and stoichiometry of fatty acid peroxidation. Archives of Biochemistry and Biophysics 125(1): 189–98. https://doi.org/10.1016/0003-9861(68)90654-1 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/0003-9861(68)90654-1
Kazemeini S A, Pirasteh-Anosheh H A D I, Basirat A and Akram N A. 2018. Salinity tolerance threshold of berseem clover (Trifolium alexandrinum) at different growth stages. Pakistan Journal of Botany 50(5): 1675–80.
Kuang L H, Shen Q F and Wu L Y. 2019. Identification of micro RNAs responding to salt stress in barley by high throughput sequencing and degradome analysis. Environmental and Experimental Botany 160: 59–70. https://doi.org/10.1016/j. envexpbot.2019.01.006 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envexpbot.2019.01.006
Kumar N, Dasila H, Kaur G, Devi S, Sanwal S K, Kumar A and Mann A. 2023. Advancement of omics approaches in understanding the mechanism of salinity tolerance in legumes. (In) Salinity and Drought Tolerance in Plants. Kumar A, Dhansu P and Mann A (Eds). Springer, Singapore. https://doi. org/10.1007/978-981-99-4669-3_14 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-99-4669-3_14
Malik R K and Singh C. 1980. The effect of organic acids and cycocel on peroxidase activity of cotton seedlings. Agrochimica 24: 478–81.
Mandal A, Singh G, Sharma R C and Dagar J C. 2010. Computerised database on salt affected soils in India. (In) Technical Bulletin. ICAR-Central Soil Salinity Research Institute, Karnal.
Mittler R. 2002. Oxidative stress, antioxidants and stress tolerance. Trends in Plant Science 7(9): 405–10. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S1360-1385(02)02312-9
Munns R and Tester M. 2008. Mechanisms of salinity tolerance. Annual Review of Plant Biology 59: 651–81. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.arplant.59.032607.092911
Pakar N, Pirasteh-Anosheh H, Emam Y and Pessarakli M. 2016. Barley growth, yield, antioxidant enzymes, and ion accumulation affected by PGRs under salinity stress conditions. Journal of Plant Nutrition 39(10): 1372–79. https://doi.org/10.1080/01904167.2016.1143498 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/01904167.2016.1143498
Parihar P, Singh S, Singh R, Singh V P and Prasad S M. 2015. Effect of salinity stress on plants and its tolerance strategies: A review. Environmental Science and Pollution Research 22: 4056–75. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-014-3739-1 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-014-3739-1
Pirasteh-Anosheh H, Emam Y and Sepaskhah A R. 2015. Improving barley performance by proper foliar applied salicylic-acid under saline conditions. International Journal of Plant Production 9(3): 467–86.
Saxena I, Srikanth S and Chen Z. 2016. Cross talk between H2O2 and interacting signal molecules under plant stress response. Frontiers in Plant Science 7: 570. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2016.00570
Singh T, Radhakrishna A, Malaviya D R and Deeravathu S N. 2020. Biomass accumulation, phenology and seed yield of Trifolium alexandrinum ecotypes evaluated in central India. Tropical Grasslands-Forrajes 8(1): 28–34. DOI: https://doi.org/10.17138/tgft(8)28-34
Van Zelm E, Zhang Y and Testerink C. 2020. Salt tolerance mechanisms of plants. Annual Review of Plant Biology 71: 403–33. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-arplant-050718-100005 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-arplant-050718-100005
Velikova V, Yordanov I and Edreva A. 2000. Oxidative stress and some antioxidant systems in acid rain-treated bean plants: Protective role of exogenous polyamines. Plant Science 151(1): 59–66. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0168-9452(99)00197-1 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0168-9452(99)00197-1
Zhu J K. 2016. Abiotic stress signaling and responses in plants. Cell 167(2): 313–24. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2016.08.029
Downloads
Submitted
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 The Indian Journal of Agricultural Sciences
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
The copyright of the articles published in The Indian Journal of Agricultural Sciences is vested with the Indian Council of Agricultural Research, which reserves the right to enter into any agreement with any organization in India or abroad, for reprography, photocopying, storage and dissemination of information. The Council has no objection to using the material, provided the information is not being utilized for commercial purposes and wherever the information is being used, proper credit is given to ICAR.
How to Cite
