Deciphering salinity resistance in Amaranthus cruentus in relation to its nutritional value: a bright future for an old plant
(2022) Annual Meeting on Plant Ecology and Evolution — Location: Meise Botanic Garden (29.September.2022)
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- et. al.
- Abstract
- Several amaranths (Amaranthus spp.) are orphan crops. These plants with a C4-type photosynthesis are cultivated either for their nutritive leaves or for their seeds rich in proteins with a balanced amino acid profile. Despite the lack of breeding effort, they are promising crops. Among them, Amaranthus cruentus is cultivated for both uses, with distinct varieties. A good tolerance to several biotic and abiotic stresses is recognized. Meanwhile, soil salinity is becoming a major constraint for crop productivity worldwide, especially in arid and semi-arid areas. Four A. cruentus varieties – two bred for grain production and two for leaves production, contrasted regarding their tolerance to salt – were exposed to a moderate salt stress (75 mM NaCl in irrigation water) in greenhouses. The response of the plants was analyzed along the entire life cycle. Growth rate, photosynthesis, transpiration rate and stomatal response were measured during growth. Biomass production was also evaluated. The content of minerals and various metabolites (pigments, antioxidant markers and osmolytes) were investigated, mainly in leaves. The salt stress caused a moderate, or even no, decrease in growth at the vegetative stage (almost no impact on leaves production), but the effect was much stronger at the reproductive stage, with a seed yield loss ranging from -70% to -90 %. Sodium mainly accumulated in the roots and the stem, suggesting that A. cruentus is able to sequestrate sodium outside the leaves, protecting the photosynthetic machinery. The content in several minerals, some of them with a nutritional interest, decreased in leaves (K, Cu, Fe, Zn), whereas it increased for others (Na, Mg). Polyphenols, carbohydrates and pigments content decreased with the salt treatment. These results show that A. cruentus is a good candidate for leaves production on salt-affected soils but with a slight decrease in nutritional quality, whereas grain production is compromised.
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Citations
Luyckx, A., & et al. (2022). Deciphering salinity resistance in Amaranthus cruentus in relation to its nutritional value: a bright future for an old plant. Annual Meeting on Plant Ecology and Evolution, Meise Botanic Garden. https://hdl.handle.net/2078.5/240032