Document Type : Research Paper - Breeding of Fruit Trees Crops
Authors
1 Department of Horticulture, Faculty of Agriculture, Urmia University, Urmia, Iran
2 Department of Horticultural Science, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Tabriz, Tabriz, Iran
3 Department of Soil Science, Faculty of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Urmia University, Urmia, Iran
Abstract
Salinity poses a significant challenge to plant growth and can lead to adverse physiological and metabolic alterations. The selection of tolerant rootstocks offers a promising solution to mitigate this issue. Magnetized water technology has emerged as an innovative approach to alleviate the negative impact of salinity on water quality. In this greenhouse study, we aimed to explore the synergistic effects of rootstock selection and magnetized water treatment under salinity stress conditions on the growth of apple saplings. By examining these combined factors, we seek to understand their potential in enhancing plant resilience to salinity-induced stress. This research contributes to the ongoing efforts to develop sustainable strategies for managing salinity stress in agricultural settings, with implications for improving crop productivity and resilience in saline environments.
Materials and Methods
The factorial experiment was conducted using a randomized complete block design with four replications from 2019 to 2020 at the University of Urmia, Iran. The factors examined included two rootstocks (M7 and MM106), three levels of magnetized water (0, 0.1, and 0.2 Tesla), and three levels of salinity stress (0, 40, and 80 mM). To evaluate the investigated factors, leaf thickness, leaf temperature, leaf area, internode length, rootstock diameter, branch growth, greenness index (SPAD), relative water content (RWC), total phenol, antioxidant capacity and phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL) enzyme were measured. Statistical analysis was done with SAS software (version 9.4). GLM procedure was used for the analysis of variance. Means were compared with the least significant difference (LSD) test.
Results
The three-way interactions of rootstock × magnetized water × salinity stress significantly influenced total phenol and PAL enzyme activity. Additionally, the main effects of rootstock, magnetized water and salinity stress on leaf thickness, root diameter, RWC and, SPAD were significant. Increasing salinity levels reduced rootstock diameter, shoot growth, leaf water content, SPAD, and leaf area. However, salinity treatment increased leaf thickness, leaf temperature, phenolic compound concentration, antioxidant capacity, and PAL activity compared to control. The highest internode (17.58 cm) and rootstock diameter (2.18 mm) were obtained with 0.1 Tesla magnetized water treatment. Conversely, increasing salinity stress reduced internode length in both M7 and MM106 rootstocks, and the maximum internode length was produced in M7 under non-saline conditions (19.35 cm). Also, the highest rootstock diameter (19.83 mm) was observed in MM106 under non-saline conditions. Moreover, leaf RWC was higher in M7 (82.70%) compared to MM106. The highest PAL enzyme activity (62.77 nmol g-1F.W.-1) was recorded under 80 mM salinity, 1.0 Tesla magnetic water, and M7 rootstock.
Conclusion
The utilization of magnetized water resulted in enhancements across various parameters including rootstock diameter, shoot growth, leaf water content, surface area, phenolic compounds, and PAL enzyme activity, surpassing the control group. Combining magnetic water treatment with M7 rootstock demonstrated significant mitigation of salinity-induced effects on apple saplings. Thus, the joint application of M7 rootstock and magnetic water is advocated for both saline and non-saline environments. This research underscores the importance of employing sustainable approaches to combat salinity stress in apple orchards, offering insights into effective management strategies for enhancing crop resilience in challenging agricultural conditions.
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