PJB-2022-1527
Ion homeostasis and osmoregulation in Tamarix dioica Roxb. ex Roth through modulation of structural and functional features
Zaher Uddin Babar, Iftikhar Ahmad, Mansoor Hameed and Muhammad Sajid Aqeel Ahmad
Abstract
Salt indicator species inhabiting wild habitats could provide important information regarding salinity-tolerance mechanisms in plants. In this study, Tamarix dioica populations were collected from saline habitats all over the Punjab i.e., from Khabeki Lake, Uchali Lake, Kallar Kahar Lake, Katha Saghral, Lilla range, Kirrana hills, and Faisalabad. Their salinity tolerance potential was accessed based on growth, photosynthetic pigments, oxidative stress indicators, anti-oxidative enzyme activities, and anatomical attributes. Many populations of Tamarix dioica maintained chlorophyll contents at high salinities. Higher accumulation of proline, glycine betaine, free amino acids, soluble sugars, soluble proteins, and ascorbic acid contributed to growth maintenance under saline environments. An increase in the shoot potassium, calcium, and magnesium was consistent with a concurrent decrease in shoot sodium. Among the anatomical features, an increase in root epidermis thickness, cortex, endodermis, phloem, vascular bundle, metaxylem, pith, and sclerification was recorded intolerant populations. Similarly, stem epidermis, cortex, metaxylem, phloem, and vascular bundle areas increased under salt stress. All these features differentially enabled T. dioica populations to survive in highly saline environments.
To Cite this article:
Babar, Z.U., I. Ahmad, M. Hameed and M.S.A. Ahmad. 2022. Ion homeostasis and osmoregulation in Tamarix dioica Roxb. ex Roth through modulation of structural and functional features. Pak. J. Bot., 54(4): DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.30848/PJB2022-4(16)
Download
