PJB-2024-1534
Sodium chloride effects on seed germination and postgerminative growth of Anabasis articulata (Forssk.) Moq. (Amaranthaceae), an Algerian wild halophyte
Hafida Trabelsi, Mohammed Elhafed Kherraze, Nour Imane Berraghda and Marius-Nicusor Grigore
Abstract
Anabasis articulata, is a wild halophyte mainly found in the Algerian Sahara Desert and used in traditional medicine by natives for their medicinal properties. Salinity is well documented to have an impact on the germination and development of many species. In Algeria, the behavior of A. articulata halophyte at germination and postgerminative stage is rather poorly understood. In the present study, we discuss the level of their seed tolerance during the process of germination under laboratory conditions. Therefore, the response of seed germination and postgerminative growth parameters of A. articulata to salinity level were investigated. Seven salinity concentrations (50, 100, 150, 200, 250, and 300 mM NaCl) were applied to seeds obtained from the Saharan rangeland desert of Algeria, and they were then incubated at 25°C in the dark. The salinity had a big impact on seedling growth parameters and germination indices. The non-saline treated seeds had the highest germination percentage (GP; 98%) up until 150 mM NaCl, however they continue to germinate at significant rates.
Ungerminated A. articulata seeds germinated well after being transferred to distilled water, demonstrating that germination was limited by osmotic potential rather than particular ion toxicity and thus A. articulata may be classified as a salt resistant plant. Furthermore, the growth characteristics (i.e., aSL) decreased with rising salinity levels, particularly at 250mM. While the aRL grew dramatically with increasing salt concentrations until 200 mM NaCl, it then declined significantly. The seedling vigour index (SVI) followed a similar trend to that of germination. All of these features suggest that A. articulata seeds may germinate in extreme salinity conditions, making it a good choice for restoring degraded rangelands
To Cite this article:
Trabelsi, H., M.E. Kherraze, N.I. Berraghda and M.N. Grigore. 2024. Sodium chloride effects on seed germination and postgerminative growth of Anabasis articulata (Forssk.) Moq. (Amaranthaceae), an Algerian wild halophyte. Pak. J. Bot., 56(4): DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.30848/PJB2024-4(4)
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