Paper Details

PJB-2024-573

Salinity resilience in quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa); investigating adaptive mechanisms across different varieties to combat salt stress for sustainable agriculture

Zarmina Gul, Muhammad Arif, Mansoor Hayat and Lai Thi Quynh Quyen
Abstract

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One of the main abiotic factors influencing crop production and yield is salt stress. Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) serves as a valuable model crop for developing salt-resistant cultivated varieties through targeted breeding strategies. The purpose of this study was to evaluate how three quinoa cultivars-'UAF-Q7' (Q-1), 'White Quinoa' (Q-2), and 'Hybrid Quinoa' (Q-3)-reacted biochemically and morpho-physiologically to different salt stress levels. NaCl solutions at concentrations of 0, 100, 200, 300, 400, and 500 mmol/L were used to pretreat the seeds. To learn more about the mechanisms underlying quinoa's resistance to salt, we assessed several physiological and biochemical characteristics as well as seed germination, growth, and biomass production. The findings showed that the seed germination index, germination potential, and germination percentage first increased and then significantly decreased as the NaCl content rose, due to genetic variability among different species. In a similar vein, increased salinity was followed by a decrease in plant biomass, chlorophyll content, relative water content, soluble proteins, and antioxidant enzymatic activity including ascorbate peroxidase (APX), catalase (CAT), peroxidase (POD), and superoxide dismutase (SOD). Interestingly, at 200 mmol/L NaCl, the antioxidant enzyme activities of Q-1 and Q-2 leaves were much higher than those of Q-3 71.8%, 55.5%, and 38.9% respectively. Additionally, the aerial leaves of all cultivars showed a considerable rise in soluble sugars, proline, and malondialdehyde content as the concentration of NaCl increased due to high metabolic seed activity. These results show that Q-1 and Q-2 have better physiological responses, stronger enzymatic activity, and greater salt tolerance than Q-3. This study emphasizes how quinoa may be used as a model for breeding salt-resistant cultivars and how useful it is for creating salt-tolerant crops for use in saline-affected areas and improving agricultural practices.

To Cite this article: Gul, Z., M. Arif, M. Hayat and L.T.Q. Quyen. 2026. Salinity resilience in quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa); investigating adaptive mechanisms across different varieties to combat salt stress for sustainable agriculture. Pak. J. Bot., 58(2): DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.30848/PJB2026-2(11)
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