INTERSPECIFIC HYBRIDIZATION AND INOCULATION WITH Pantoea eucalypti IMPROVE FORAGE PERFORMANCE OF LOTUS CROPS SPECIES UNDER ALKALINE STRESS

CAMPESTRE M.P; ANTONELLI C.J.; CASTAGNO N; MAGUIRE V.; RUIZ O.A.

PLANT BIOLOGY

WILEY-BLACKWELL PUBLISHING, INC

Lugar: Londres; Año: 2024

1435-8603

Abstract•This study was designed to elucidate the physiological responses of three Lotus forage accessions to alkaline stress, and the influence of a Pantoea eucalypti endophyte strain inoculation on alkaline stress mitigation. A diploid Lotus corniculatus (Lc) accession, Lotus tenuis (Lt), and the interspecific hybrid LtxLc obtained from these two parental lines were exposed to alkaline stress (pH 8.2). •The results indicated that Lt and the LtxLc hybrid are alkaline-tolerant compared to Lc, based on the observations that their dry mass was not reduced under stress, and there was no chlorosis symptom on leaf blades. In all three Lotus accessions, Fe2+ concentration under stress decreased in the aerial part and simultaneously increased in the roots. Inoculation with P. eucalypti caused a considerable increase in Fe2+ content in the shoots of all three Lotus forage species under alkaline treatment.•Photochemical efficiency of photosystem II was affected in Lc accession only when exposed to alkaline treatment. However, when cultivated under alkalinity and inoculation, plants recovered and obtained photosynthetic parameter values equivalent to those recorded under the control treatment.•Together, the results highlight the importance of inoculation with P. eucalypti, which contributes significantly to mitigating alkaline stress. All the results provide useful information for improving alkaline tolerance traits of Lotus forage species and the interspecific hybrids obtained between them.