Improving Cucumber Salt Tolerance by Grafting on Cucurbit Rootstock

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

Abstract

Soil and water salinity is one of the stresses that have limited cucumber production in Iran. The use of cucurbit rootstocks is a valid strategy in increasing cucumber salt tolerance. In order to investigate the effect of the grafting on Shintoza, Cobalt, and Root power rootstocks in salinity condition (40, 60 and 80 mM NaCl) on yield, growth, fruit quality, electrolyte leakage, leaf area, specific leaf area (SLA), SPAD index, leaf relative water content (LRWC), mineral composition, and proline of cucumber plants (cv. Khasib), an factorial experiment was carried out based on completely randomized design (CRD) with three replications. Salinity improved fruit quality in both grafted and ungrafted plants by increasing fruit dry matter and total soluble solids content. Moreover, at the three salt treatments the percentage of yield and biomass reduction was significantly lower in the grafted plants in comparison to ungrafted plants. Grafted cucumber plants exposed to NaCl were capable of maintaining higher fruit yield, plant growth, leaf area, leaf relative water content (LRWC), higher chlorophyll content (SPAD index), a better nutritional status in the root and leaf tissues and higher proline concentration and less electrolytic leakage in comparison with ungrafted ones. These results suggest that rootstocks have a higher capacity for Na+ exclusion and retention, which resulted in reduced Na+ transport to the shoot and increased the salt tolerance of cucumber.
 

Keywords


Ashraf M, 2004. Some important physiological selection criteria for salt tolerance in plants. Flora-Morphology, Distribution, Functional Ecology of Plants, 199(5): 361-376.
Ashraf M, 2009. Biotechnological approach of improving plant salt tolerance using antioxidants as markers. Biotechnology Advances, 27(1): 84-93.
Bates LS, Waldern RP and Tears ID. 1973. Rapid determination of free proline for water-stress studies. Plant and Soil, 39: 205-207.
Brugnoli N and Lauteri M. 1991. Effect of salinity on stomatal conductance photosynthesis capacity and carbon isotope discrimination of salt tolerant, (Gossypium hirsutum L.) and salt sensitive (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) C3 nonhalophytes. Plant Physiology, 95(2): 628-635.
Chaves MM, Flexas J and Pinheiro C. 2009. Photosynthesis under drought and salt stress: regulation mechanisms from whole plant to cell. Annals of Botany, 103(4): 551-560.
Colla G, Rouphael Y, Rea E and Cardarelli M. 2012. Grafting cucumber plants enhance tolerance to sodium chloride and sulfate salinization. Scientia Horticulture, 135: 177-185.
Cuartero J, Bolarin MC, Asins MJ and Moreno V. 2006. Increasing salt tolerance in the tomato. Journal of Experimental Botany, 57(5): 1045-1058.
Davis AR and Perkins-Veazie P. 2005. Rootstock effects on plant vigor and watermelon fruit quality. Report-Cucurbit Genetics Cooperative, 28: 39-42.
Davis AR, Perkins-Veazie P, Sakata Y, López-Galarza S, Maroto JV, Lee SG, Huh YC, Sun Z, Miguel A, King SR and Cohen R. 2008. Cucurbit grafting. Critical Reviews in Plant Sciences, 27(1): 50-74.
Edreva A, 2005. The importance of non-photosynthetic pigments and cinnamic acid derivatives in photoprotection. Agriculture Ecosystems and Environmental, 106(2): 135-146.
Edelstein M, Burger Y, Horev C, Porat A, Meir A and Cohen R. 2004. Assessing the effect of genetic and anatomic variation of Cucurbita rootstocks on vigour, survival and yield of grafted melons. The Journal of Horticultural Science and Biotechnology, 79(3): 370-374.
Edelstein M, Plaut Z and Ben-Hur M. 2011. Sodium and chloride exclusion and retention by non-grafted and grafted melon and Cucurbita plants. Journal of Experimental Botany, 62(1): 177-184.
Enders A and Lehmann J. 2012. Comparison of wet-digestion and dry-ashing methods for total elemental analysis of biochar. Communications in Soil Science and Plant Analysis, 43(7): 1042-1052.
Estañ MT, Martinez-Rodriguez MM, Perez-Alfocea F, Flowers TJ and Bolarin MC. 2005. Grafting raises the salt tolerance of tomato through limiting the transport of sodium and chloride to the shoot. Journal of Experimental Botany, 56(412): 703-712.
Faostate, F. 2015. Statistical yearbook 2015. World Food and Agriculture.
Flowers TJ, 2004. Improving crop salt tolerance. Journal of Experimental Botany, 55(396): 307-319.
Gaxiola RA, Li J, Undurraga S, Dang LM, Allen GJ, Alper SL and Fink GR. 2001. Drought-and salt-tolerant plants result from overexpression of the AVP1 H+-pump. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 98(20): 11444-11449.
Goreta S, Bucevic-Popovic V, Selak GV, Pavela-Vrancic M and Perica S. 2008. Vegetative growth, superoxide dismutase activity and ion concentration of salt-stressed watermelon as influenced by rootstock. The Journal of Agricultural Science, 146(06): 695-704.
Han HS and Lee KD. 2005. Plant growth promoting rhizobacteria effect on antioxidant status, photosynthesis, mineral uptake and growth of lettuce under soil salinity. Research Journal of Agriculture and bBiological Sciences, 1(3): 210-215.
He Y, Zhu Z, Yang J, Ni X and Zhu B. 2009. Grafting increases the salt tolerance of tomato by improvement of photosynthesis and enhancement of antioxidant enzymes activity. Environmental and Experimental Botany, 66(2): 270-278.
Hoyos P, 2001. Influence of different rootstocks on the yield and quality of greenhouses grown cucumbers. Acta Horticulturae, 559(4): 139-143.
Huang Y, Bie ZL, Liu P, Niu M, Zhen A, Liu ZX and Wang B. 2013. Reciprocal grafting between cucumber and pumpkin demonstrates the roles of the rootstock in the determination of cucumber salt tolerance and sodium accumulation. Scientia Horticulturae, 149: 47–54.
Huang Y, Tang R, Cao Q and Bie Z. 2009. Improving the fruit yield and quality of cucumber by grafting onto the salt tolerant rootstock under NaCl stress. Scientia Horticulturae, 122(1): 26-31.
Kafi M, Borzoee A, Salehi M, Kamandi A, Masoumi A and Nabati J. 2009. Physiology of environmental stresses in plants. Publication of Ferdowsi University. 502 pp. (In Persian).
Khold Brin B and Eslam Zadeh I. 2001. Mineral Nutrition of plants (Translation). Volume II. Publication of Shiraz University. 432pp. (In Persian).
Lee JM and Oda M. 2003. Grafting of herbaceous vegetable and ornamental crops.  Horticultural Reviews, 28:61–124.
Leoni S, Grudina R, Cadinu M, Madeddu B and Carletti MG. 1990. The influence of four rootstocks on some melon hybrids and a cultivar in greenhouse. Acta Horticulturae, 287: 127–134.
Lichtenthder HK, 1987. Cholorophylls and carotenoids: pigments of photosynthetic biomembranes. Methods in Enzymeology, 148: 350-382.
Liu HP, Dong BH, Zhang YY, Liu ZP and Liu YL. 2004. Relationship between osmotic stress and the levels of free, conjugatedandboundpolyamines in leaves of wheat seedlings. Plant Science, 166(5): 1261–1267.
Lutts S, Kinet JM and Bouharmont J. 1995. Changes in plant response to NaCl during development of rice (Oryza sativa L.) varieties differing in salinity resistance. Journal of Experimental Botany, 46(12): 1843-1852.
Malik AA, Li WG, Lou LN, Weng JH and Chen JF. 2010. Biochemical/physiological characterization and evaluation of in vitro salt tolerance in cucumber. African Journal of Biotechnology, 9(22): 3298-3302.
Martınez-Ballesta MC, Martınez V and Carvajal M. 2004. Osmotic adjustment, water relations and gas exchange in pepper plants grown under NaCl or KCl. Environmental and Experimental Botany, 52(2): 161-174.
Maybodi SAM and Qarhyazy B. 2002. Physiological aspects and breeding for salinity stress in plants. Publication of Isfahan University. 226 pp. (In Persian).
Munns R and Tester M. 2008. Mechanisms of salinity tolerance. Annual Review of Plant Biology, 59: 651–681.
Parida AK and Das AB. 2005. Salt tolerance and salinity effects on plants: a review. Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety, 60(3): 324-349.
Premchandra GS, Saneoka H, Fujita K and Ogata S. 1992. Leaf water relations, osmotic adjustment, cell membrane stability, epi-cuticular wax load and growth as affected by increasing water deficits in Sorghum. Journal of Experimental Botany, 43(12): 1569-1576.
Rahimi A, ShmsAldyn Said D and Etemadi F.2010. Effects of salinity on germination, vegetative growth and ionic values in Nigella sativa. L. Khoshkbum Journal, 1 (2): 20-30. (In Persian).
Rengel Z, 1992. The role of calcium in salt toxicity. Plant, Cell and Environment, 15(6): 625-632.
Romero L, Belakbir A, Ragala L and Ruiz M. 1997. Response of plant yield and leaf pigments to saline conditions: Effectiveness of different rootstocks in melon plants (Cucumis melo L.) Soil Science and Plant Nutrition, 43(4): 855-862.
Rouphael Y, Cardarelli M, Rea E and Colla G. 2008. Grafting of cucumber as a means to minimize copper toxicity. Environmental and Experimental Botany, 63(1): 49-58.
Rus A, Lee B, Munoz-Mayer A, Sharkhuu A, Miura K, Zhu JK, Bressan RA, Masegawa PM, 2004. AtHKT1 facilitates Na+ homeostasis and K+ nutrition in plants.  Plant Physiology, 136(1): 2500–2511.
Santa-Cruz A, Martínez-Rodríguez MM, Cuartero J and Bolarin MC. 2001. Response of plant yield and ion contents to salinity in grafted tomato plants. Acta Horticulturae, 559: 413–417.
Salam MA, Masum ASMH, Chowdhury SS, Dhar M, Saddeque A and Islam MR. 2002. Growth and yield of watermelon as influenced by grafting.  Online Journal of Biological Sciences, 2(5): 298-299.
Seong KC, Moon JH, Lee SG, Kang YG, Kim KY and Seo HD. 2003. Growth, lateral shoot development, and fruit yield of white-spined cucumber (Cucumis sativus cv. Baekseong-3) as affected by grafting methods. Journal-Korean Society for Horticultural Science, 44(4): 478-482.
Smart RE and Bingham GE. 1974. Rapid estimates of relative water content. Plant Physiology, 53(2): 258-260.
Tester M and Davenport RJ. 2003. Na+ tolerance and Na+ transport in higher plants. Annals of Botany, 91(5): 503–527.
Wu YF, Chen Y and Zhao YJ. 2006. Effect of pumpkin stocks on growth, development, yield, and quality of grafted muskmelon. Journal of Agricultural Science, 21: 354-359.
Yang L, Zhu Y, Hu C, Liu Z and Zhang G. 2005. Effects of NaCl stress on the contents of the substances regulating membrane lipid oxidation and osmosis and photosynthetic characteristics of grafted cucumber. Acta Botanica Boreali-Occidentalia Sinica, 26(6): 1195-1200.
Yetisir H, Sari N and Yücel S. 2003. Rootstock resistance to fusarium wilt and effect on watermelon fruit yield and quality. Phytoparasitica, 31(2): 163-169.
Zhang HX and Blumwald E. 2001. Transgenic salt-tolerant tomato plants accumulate salt in foliage but not in fruit. Nature Biotechnology, 19(8): 765–768.
Zhu J. Bie ZL, Huang Y and Han XY. 2008a. Effect of grafting on the growth and ion contents of cucumber seedlings under NaCl stress. Soil Science and Plant Nutrition, 54(6): 895–902.
Zhu J, Bie ZL and Li Y. 2008b. Physiological and growth responses of two different salt-sensitive cucumber cultivars to NaCl stress. Soil science and plant nutrition, 54(3): 400-407.
Zhu J, Bie ZL, Xu R, Tang M and Pei Y. 2006. Effects of different rootstocks on the growth, yield and quality of cucumber fruits. Journal of Huazhong Agricultural University, 25: 668-671.