Genotypic variation in response to salinity in a new sexual germplasm of Cenchrus ciliaris L.

MARIANA QUIROGA; EXEQUIEL TOMMASINO ; SABRINA GRIFFA ; ANDREA RIBOTTA; ELIANA LOPEZ COLOMBA
; EDGARDO CARLON; KARINA GRUNBERG

PLANT PHYSIOLOGY AND BIOCHEMISTRY

ELSEVIER FRANCE-EDITIONS SCIENTIFIQUES MEDICALES ELSEVIER

Lugar: Paris; Año: 2016 vol. 102 p. 53 - 61

0981-9428

As part of a breeding program for new salt-tolerant sexual genotypes of Cenchrus ciliaris L., here weevaluated the salt-stress response of two new sexual hybrids, obtained by controlled crosses, at seedlingand germination stages. A seedling hydroponic experiment with 300 mM NaCl was performed andphysiological variables and growth components were evaluated. While salt-treated sexual material didnot show a decrease in productivity with respect to control plants, a differential response in somephysiological characteristics was observed. Sexual hybrid 1-9-1 did not suffer oxidative damage and itsproline content did not differ from that of control treatment. By contrast, sexual hybrid 1-7-11 sufferedoxidative damage and accumulated proline, maintaining its growth under saline stress. At the germinationstage, sexual hybrid 1-9-1 presented the highest Germination Rate Index at the maximum NaClconcentration assayed, suggesting an ecological advantage in this genotype. These new sexual resourcesare promising maternal parental with differential response to salt and could be incorporated in abreeding program of C. ciliaris in the search of new genotypes tolerant to salinity