Salinity tolerance in argentinean population of Bromus catharticus: variability and direct and indirect effects on seedling characters

Abstract

The aim of this research was to evaluate the salinity tolerance in prairie grass populations at the seedling stage quantifying the variability and the influence of physiological traits related to it. Salinity tolerance, in Bromus catharticus Vahl (prairie grass) populations collected in different environments of the Pampean Phytogeography region (Argentine) was evaluated at the seedling stage, using controlled condition of temperature and light. It was adopted a completely randomized design using 3 plots with three plants each one per population and two levels of treatment: 0 mM and 100 mM NaCl. Morphological, biomass and membrane stability root and shoot traits were studied. A factorial ANOVA with interaction was estimated. Then one way ANOVA for all seedling traits in both treatments allowed estimating variance components, coefficient of genotypic determination (CGD) and variation index (VI). Comparisons between populations were made using Tukey test (at 5% of probability). Phenotypic correlations among traits were calculated and then a path coefficient analysis separated direct and indirect effects at 100 and 0 mM NaCl. No significant interactions “Population × Treatment” were found for any character. The saline stress caused a pairing in the population means for the most traits. Coefficients of variation were mainly higher when the seedlings grew without stress (0 mM) because it allowed a greater potential genotypic expression. The absence of significant interactions denotes a good homeostatic capacity of the prairie grass facing that abiotic stress. Leaf length, shoot length and root dry matter were the variables with the largest direct and indirect effects. Our results showed an increase for them at salt and demonstrated intraspecific variation, possibly in relation with the origin sites. Plants under stress showed a marked resilience, in order to quickly restore the same biomass allocation patterns that occur in non-stress environment.