Climate change is causing soil salinization, resulting in huge crop losses throughout the world. Multiple physiological and biochemical pathways determine the ability of plants to tolerate salt stress. Chili (Capsicum annum L.) is a salt-susceptible crop; therefore, its growth and yield is negatively impacted by salinity. Irreversible damage at cell level and photo inhibition due to high production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and less CO2 availability caused by water stress is directly linked with salinity. A pot experiment was conducted to determine the impact of five NaCl salinity levels, i.e., 0,1.5, 3.0, 5.0 and 7.0 dS m-1 on growth, biochemical attributes and yield of two chili genotypes ('Plahi' and 'A-120'). Salinity stress significantly reduced fresh and dry weight, relative water contents, water use efficiency, leaf osmotic potential, glycine betaine (GB) contents, photosynthetic rate (A), transpiration rate (E), stomatal conductance (Ci), and chlorophyll contents of tested genotypes. Salinity stress significantly enhanced malondialdehyde (MDA) contents and activities of the enzymatic antioxidants such as superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and peroxidase (POD). In addition, increasing salinity levels significantly reduced the tissue phosphorus and potassium concentrations, while enhanced the tissue sodium and chloride concentrations. Genotype 'Plahi' had better growth and biochemical attributes compared to 'A-120'. Therefore, 'Plahi' is recommended for saline areas to improve chili production.

College of Agriculture Bahauddin Zakariya University Bahadur Sub Campus Layyah Layyah Pakistan

Department of Biotechnology College of Science Taif University Taif Saudi Arabia

Department of Botany and Plant Physiology Faculty of Agrobiology Food and Natural Resources Czech University of Life Sciences Prague Prague Czech Republic

Department of Horticultural Sciences University College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences The Islamia University of Bahawalpur Bahawalpur Pakistan

Department of Horticulture MNS Agriculture University Multan Pakistan

Department of Land Management Faculty of Agriculture Universiti Putra Malaysia Serdang Selangor Malaysia

Department of Plant Physiology Slovak University of Agriculture Nitra Slovakia

Odvolání publikace

PLoS One. 2022 Aug 17;17(8):e0272532. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0272532. PubMed

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