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Varietal differences of quinoa’s tolerance to saline conditions

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Abstract

Aims

This study aimed to assess varietal differences of quinoa’s tolerance to salinity and to investigate physiological mechanisms conferring these differences.

Methods

Production of biomass in fourteen varieties grown under saline conditions was analysed in a pot experiment. For two contrasting varieties, the Danish variety Titicaca and the Bolivian variety Utusaya gas exchange, chlorophyll content index (CCI), fluorescence and ion relations were studied.

Results

Responses to salinity differed greatly among the varieties; least affected were two varieties from the Bolivian altiplano and a variety from Peru. Titicaca and Utusaya both had substantially increased K+ concentrations in the leaf sap. But, Utusaya was much more efficient in restricting xylem Na+ loading. Xylem Na+ and K+ loading were found to be uncoupled. Utusaya maintained a relatively high stomatal conductance resulting in an only 25% NaCl-induced reduction in net CO2 assimilation compared to a 67% reduction in salt treated Titicaca plants. Maximum photochemical efficiency of PSII was not affected by salinity.

Conclusion

In addition to maintaining high gas exchange, tolerant varieties better control xylem Na+ loading. To what extent this control is related to radial root Na+ uptake or to the activity of Na+/H+-exchangers at the xylem parenchyma boundary remains to be studied.

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Acknowledgements

We are grateful for the financial support from the EU 7th Framework Programme through the project “Sustainable water use securing food production in dry areas of the Mediterranean region”, and to the two university faculties involved in this work, which are Aarhus University, Faculty of Science and Technology, and the University of Copenhagen, Faculty of Life Sciences. Sergey Shabala acknowledges the financial support of the Australian Research Council.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Højbakkegaard Allé 13, 2630, Taastrup, Denmark

    Verena I. Adolf & Sven-Erik Jacobsen

  2. School of Agricultural Science, University of Tasmania, Private Bag 54, Hobart, Tas, 7001, Australia

    Sergey Shabala

  3. Department of Agroecology, Aarhus University, Faculty of Science and Technology, Blichers Allé 20, 8830, Tjele, Denmark

    Mathias N. Andersen & Fatemeh Razzaghi

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  1. Verena I. Adolf
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  2. Sergey Shabala
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  3. Mathias N. Andersen
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  4. Fatemeh Razzaghi
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  5. Sven-Erik Jacobsen
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Correspondence to Sven-Erik Jacobsen.

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Adolf, V.I., Shabala, S., Andersen, M.N. et al. Varietal differences of quinoa’s tolerance to saline conditions. Plant Soil 357, 117–129 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-012-1133-7

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