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Rhizobium symbiosis contribution to short-term salt stress tolerance in alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.)

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Abstract

Background and Aims

Salt stress negatively affects alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) production and biological nitrogen fixation. We investigated whether rhizobium symbiosis has an effect on host plant tolerance to salt stress.

Methods

We determined the survival rate, oxidative damage level, activities of antioxidant enzymes, and contents of osmotic solutes in the leaf and root of 4-month-old alfalfa with active nodules, inactive nodules or without nodules, and under short-term salt stress.

Results

Alfalfa with active nodules showed higher survival rate. Higher survival rate was associated with reduced lipid peroxidation, higher activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), peroxidase (POD), and ascorbate peroxidase (APX) as well as higher concentrations of reduced glutathione (GSH) and soluble sugar, especially in roots under salt stress. Variance analysis indicated nodulation affected the activities of SOD, CAT, POD, and APX along with concentrations of GSH, soluble sugar, and soluble protein. Inoculation also resulted in higher basal levels of superoxide anion radical (O2 −·) without salt stress.

Conclusions

Rhizobium symbiosis had a positive effect on alfalfa salt tolerance by improving the activity of antioxidant enzymes and osmotic adjustment capacity.

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Abbreviations

MDA:

Malondialdehyde

SOD:

Superoxide dismutase

CAT:

Catalase

POD:

Peroxidase

APX:

Ascorbate peroxidase

GSH:

Reduced glutathione

O2 −·:

Superoxide anion radical

ROS:

Reactive oxygen species

AN:

Alfalfa with active nodules

IN:

Alfalfa with inactive nodules

NN:

Alfalfa with no nodules

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the Project of National Natural Science Foundation of China (31372357, 31272490), the National Key Technology R&D Program in the 12th Five-Year Plan of China (2011BAD17B05), the major project for Tibetan forage industry (Z2014C02N02), and China Agriculture Research System (CARS-35). The authors thank Drs. Yajun Wu and Roger N Gates from South Dakota State University for their advice on statistical analysis and constructive comments to this manuscript, as well as the anonymous reviewers for their thoughtful critique and suggestions.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Grassland Science, College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China

    Yafang Wang, Zhiqiang Zhang, Pan Zhang, Yuman Cao, Tianming Hu & Peizhi Yang

  2. Department of Grassland Science, College of Animal Science and Technology, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, 150030, China

    Pan Zhang

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  1. Yafang Wang
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  2. Zhiqiang Zhang
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Correspondence to Tianming Hu or Peizhi Yang.

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Wang, Y., Zhang, Z., Zhang, P. et al. Rhizobium symbiosis contribution to short-term salt stress tolerance in alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.). Plant Soil 402, 247–261 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-016-2792-6

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