Trait Prioritization for Salt Tolerance from Physiological Traits on Lentil (Lens culinaris Medik.)

Author: Pooja Kanwar Shekhawat, M.L. Jakhar, Jogendra Singh and Vijayata Singh

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Abstract

Lentil (Lens culinaris, Medik.), an economical and high-quality protein source for many, is susceptible to salt stress. When exposed to an electrical conductivity (EC) of up to 5 dS/m (~ 50 mM NaCl), it undergoes a notable yield reduction of about 90% compared to other crops. Identifying lentil germplasm with salinity tolerance is crucial for ensuring super-food production and sustaining the lentil industry. Evaluating diversity panels for their capacity to withstand salt stress conditions emerges as a primary approach for developing breeding lines and salt-tolerant varieties. In this investigation, 100 diverse lentil accessions were examined for photosynthetic traits under both control and saline condition (5 dS/m). A significant reduction (p < 0.05) was observed under salinity compared to the control. The stepwise regression approach revealed that E, gsw, iWUE, inWUE, Chlorophyll, RWC and MSI contribute critically to reducing salt stress. Nine clusters were formed using manhattan distance method and ward clustering method with highest number of genotypes (22) were found in cluster I followed by 15 (cluster VII), 12 (cluster IV), 10 (cluster III, V, VIII and IX), 7 (cluster VI) and 4 (cluster II). Different genotypes from various clusters can be used as parents in hybridization breeding programme to get trangressive segregants. This study contributes essential knowledge regarding how photosynthetic traits respond to salt stress in diverse lentil genotypes. The information acquired here will enhance our comprehension of photosynthetic alterations under salt stress.

Keywords

Lentil, Salt Tolerance, Photosynthesis, Transpiration, Water use efficiency

Conclusion

The photosynthetic performance in lentils has not been previously assessed. In our current study, we observed that salinity significantly diminishes the activity of the photosynthetic apparatus, directly impacting yield negatively. In staple food crops, photosynthesis remains a plant trait with substantial potential for further improvement. Notably, efforts to enhance lentil crops have commenced with extensive measurements, but there is a need to enhance measurement throughput, covering plants from root to canopy, utilizing high throughput phenotyping facilities. The effectiveness of evaluating the fit of a multiple regression model can be gauged through the application of Mallows' Cp Criterion, where a preference for smaller Cp values indicates lower levels of unexplained error.

References

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How to cite this article

Pooja Kanwar Shekhawat, M.L. Jakhar, Jogendra Singh and Vijayata Singh (2024). Trait Prioritization for Salt Tolerance from Physiological Traits on Lentil (Lens culinaris Medik.). Biological Forum – An International Journal, 16(1): 251-256.