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Effect of salt stress on cucumber: Na+–K+ ratio, osmolyte concentration, phenols and chlorophyll content

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Abstract

A pot experiment with 17 diverse genotypes of cucumber with four levels of salt stress viz., 0, 2, 4 and 6 dS m−1 was carried out during 2006. ANOVA revealed significant differences amongst genotypes and genotype × salt stress interaction indicating the genetic variability and differential response of the genotypes to different salt stress levels. The salt stress adversely affected the biochemical parameters; effects were severe under 4 dS m−1. No genotype could survive at 6 dS m−1. Sodium content, Na+–K+ ratio, proline, reducing sugars, phenol and yield reduction (%) increased significantly as the salt stress increased. Potassium, chlorophyll, membrane stability index and fruit yield decreased significantly under salt stress in all genotypes. However, the genotypes CRC-8, CHC-2 and G-338 showed lower accumulation of sodium, lesser depletion of potassium, lower Na+–K+ ratio and higher accumulation of proline, reducing sugars, phenols, better membrane stability and lower yield reduction (%) under salt stress, while CH-20 and DC-1 were sensitive to salt stress. Thus, a combination of traits such as higher membrane stability, lower Na+–K+ ratio, higher osmotic concentration and selective uptake of useful ions and prevention of over accumulation of toxic ions contribute to salt stress tolerance in cucumber. These traits would be useful selection criteria during salt stress breeding in cucumber.

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Acknowledgments

Jagesh K. Tiwari thanks Indian Agricultural Research Institute, Pusa, New Delhi for providing senior research fellowship to conduct this study.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Vegetable Science, Indian Agricultural Research Institute, Pusa, 110 012, New Delhi, India

    Jagesh K. Tiwari, Anilabh D. Munshi & Ravinder Kumar

  2. Division of Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry, Indian Agricultural Research Institute, Pusa, 110 012, New Delhi, India

    Raghu N. Pandey

  3. Division of Plant Physiology, Indian Agricultural Research Institute, Pusa, 110 012, New Delhi, India

    Ajay Arora

  4. Department of Genetics and Plant Breeding, Institute of Agriculture, Visva Bharati, Sriniketan, West Bengal, India

    Jayant S. Bhat

  5. Department of Vegetable Science, College of Horticulture and Forestry, Central Agricultural University, Pasighat, 791 102, Arunachal Pradesh, India

    Amish Kumar Sureja

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  1. Jagesh K. Tiwari
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  3. Ravinder Kumar
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Correspondence to Amish Kumar Sureja.

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Communicated by A. Aniol.

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Tiwari, J.K., Munshi, A.D., Kumar, R. et al. Effect of salt stress on cucumber: Na+–K+ ratio, osmolyte concentration, phenols and chlorophyll content. Acta Physiol Plant 32, 103–114 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11738-009-0385-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11738-009-0385-1

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