TITLE:
Salt Stress Induced Modulations in Growth, Compatible Solutes and Antioxidant Enzymes Response in Two Cultivars of Safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L. Cultivar TSF1 and Cultivar SM) Differing in Salt Tolerance
AUTHORS:
T. Vijayalakshmi, A. S. Vijayakumar, K. Kiranmai, A. Nareshkumar, Chinta Sudhakar
KEYWORDS:
Safflower, Salinity Stress, Compatible Solutes, Antioxidative Enzymes
JOURNAL NAME:
American Journal of Plant Sciences,
Vol.7 No.13,
September
28,
2016
ABSTRACT: Safflower is an important, traditional, multipurpose
oil crop. This was to investigate the effect of different salinity levels on
morphological, physiological, biochemical and antioxidant response of two
safflower cultivars (Carthamus tinctorius L. cultivar TSF1 and cultivar SM) differing in salt tolerance. Salinity
stress (0.0%, 1.0%, 1.5% and 2.0% of NaCl) was induced to safflower plants after
19 days of vegetative growth. After 12
days of stress impositions, plants
were harvested and analysed for various parameters. The results revealed that
cultivar TSF1 showed maximum growth, dry weight, cell membrane stability and
more water content in both root and leaf tissues at higher salinity levels than
cultivar SM. Salt stress resulted an accumulation of more soluble sugars, amino
acids, proline and glycine betaine at high salinity level confers the tolerance
potential of cultivar TSF1 over
cultivar SM. Salt stress induces more increase in the enzyme activity of
superoxide dismutase, ascorbate peroxidase, guaiacol peroxidase and catalase in
tolerant cultivar than sensitive one. The results indicate that each cultivar
adopt specific strategy at distinct salinity level for resistance against salinity.
The possible conclusion is that improved tolerance in cultivar TSF1 to salinity
may be accomplished by better management of growth, physiological attributes
and antioxidative defence mechanisms.