Assessment of the preventive effect of vermicompost on salinity resistance in tomato (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Solanum lycopersicum</Emphasis> cv. Ailsa Craig)

To determine the effects of vermicompost leachate (VCL) on resistance to salt stress in plants, young tomato seedlings (Solanum lycopersicum, cv. Ailsa Craig) were exposed to salinity (150 mM NaCl addition to nutrient solution) for 7 days after or during 6 mL L^??1 VCL application. Salt stress significantly decreased leaf fresh and dry weights, reduced leaf water content, significantly increased root and leaf Na⁺ concentrations, and decreased K⁺ concentrations. Salt stress decreased stomatal conductance (g_s), net photosynthesis (A), instantaneous transpiration (E), maximal efficiency of PSII photochemistry in the dark-adapted state (F_v/F_m), photochemical quenching (qP), and actual PSII photochemical efficiency (ΦPSII). VCL applied during salt stress increased leaf fresh weight and g_s, but did not reduce leaf osmotic potential, despite increased proline content in salt-treated plants. VCL reduced Na⁺ concentrations in leaves (by 21.4%), but increased them in roots (by 16.9%). VCL pre-treatment followed by salt stress was more efficient than VCL concomitant to salt stress, since VCL pre-treatment provided the greatest osmotic adjustment recorded, with maintenance of net photosynthesis and K⁺/Na⁺ ratios following salt stress. VCL pre-treatment also led to the highest proline content in leaves (50 µmol g^??1 FW) and the highest sugar content in roots (9.2 µmol g^??1 FW). Fluorescence-related parameters confirmed that VCL pre-treatment of salt-stressed plants showed higher PSII stability and efficiency compared to plants under concomitant VCL and salt stress. Therefore, VCL represents an efficient protective agent for improvement of salt-stress resistance in tomato.     

Ectopic expression of PgRab7 in rice plants (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Oryza sativa</Emphasis> L.) results in differential tolerance at the vegetative and seed setting stage during salinity and drought stress

In this work, we have overexpressed a vesicle trafficking protein, Rab7, from a stress-tolerant plant, Pennisetum glaucum, in a high-yielding but stress-sensitive rice variety Pusa Basmati-1 (PB-1). The transgenic rice plants were tested for tolerance against salinity and drought stress. The transgenic plants showed considerable tolerance at the vegetative stage against both salinity (200 mM NaCl) and drought stress (up to 12 days after withdrawing water). The protection against salt and drought stress may be by regulating Na⁺ ion homeostasis, as the transgenic plants showed altered expression of multiple transporter genes, including OsNHX1, OsNHX2, OsSOS1, OsVHA, and OsGLRs. In addition, decreased generation and maintenance of lesser reactive oxygen species (ROS), with maintenance of chloroplast grana and photosynthetic machinery was observed. When evaluated for reproductive growth, 89–96 % of seed setting was maintained in transgenic plants during drought stress; however, under salt stress, a 33–53 % decrease in seed setting was observed. These results indicate that PgRab7 overexpression in rice confers differential tolerance at the seed setting stage during salinity and drought stress and could be a favored target for raising drought-tolerant crops.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">OsNHX2</Emphasis>, an Na<Superscript>+</Superscript>/H<Superscript>+</Superscript> antiporter gene,can enhance salt tolerance in rice plants through more effective accumulation of toxic Na<Superscript>+</Superscript> in leaf mesophyll and bundle sheath cells

The Na⁺/H⁺ antiporters play an important role in salt tolerance in plants. However, the functions of OsNHXs in rice except OsNHX1 have not been well studied. Using the gain- and loss-of-function strategies, we studied the potential role of OsNHX2 in salt tolerance in rice. Overexpression of OsNHX2 (OsNHX2-OE) in rice showed the significant tolerance to salt stress than wild-type plants and OsNHX2 knockdown transgenic plants (OsNHX2-KD). Under salt treatments of 300-mM NaCl for 5 days, the plant fresh weights, relative water percentages, shoot heights, Na⁺ contents, K⁺ contents, and K⁺/Na⁺ ratios in leaves of OsNHX2-OE transgenic plants were higher than those in wild-type plants, while no differences were detected in roots. K⁺/Na⁺ ratios in rice leaf mesophyll cells and bundle sheath cells were higher in OsNHX2-OE transgenic plants than in wild-type plants and OsNHX2-KD transgenic plants. Our data indicate that OsNHX2 plays an important role in salt stress based on leaf mesophyll cells and bundle sheath cells and can be served in genetically engineering crop plants with enhanced salt tolerance.     

Synergistic Interactions Between Salt-tolerant Rhizobia and Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi on Salinity Tolerance of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Sesbania cannabina</Emphasis> Plants

Legumes can host rhizobia and mycorrhizal fungi, and this triple symbiosis might be exploited to improve saline soil fertility. Therefore, a greater understanding of the interaction of rhizobia and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus during legume growth in saline soil is required. We investigated the efficiency of salt tolerance conferred by rhizobia in mycorrhizal Sesbania cannabina. Greenhouse experiments were conducted in which S. cannabina plants inoculated with Glomus mosseae BGC NM03D (GM), and two rhizobia strains Agrobacterium pusense YIC4105 (4105) and Neorhizobium huautlense YIC4083 (4083), were exposed to 100 and 200 mM NaCl. Under 200 mM NaCl stress, plants inoculated with 4105, rather than 4083, showed significant increases in shoot and root dry mass compared with non-inoculated plants. Simultaneously, a significant increase over GM-inoculated plants in mycorrhizal colonization and dependency was recorded for 4105 + GM-inoculated plants compared with 4083 + GM-inoculated plants. In addition, under NaCl stress, significant increases in the number and mass of nodules, nitrogenase activity, and leghemoglobin content of nodules occurred in 4105 + GM-inoculated plants compared with 4083 + GM-inoculated plants. Furthermore, the activities of antioxidant enzymes in rhizobia-inoculated plants were significantly higher in the GM + 4105 group than the 4083 + GM group. The malondialdehyde content of plants from the 4105 + GM group was significantly lower than in the 4083 + GM group. Thus, the results revealed a synergistic relationship among the 4105 and GM in alleviating salt stress in S. cannabina. Salt-tolerant rhizobia might improve the salinity tolerance of S. cannabina by enhancing the antioxidant system.     

Ni<Superscript>+2</Superscript>-inhibited radicle growth in germinating wheat seeds involves alterations in sugar metabolism

Nickel (Ni) is a trace element essential for the growth and development of plants. Conversely, when in excess, Ni inhibits seed germination and reduces seedling growth. Therefore, we investigated the effect of Ni⁺² (5–50 μM; supplied as nickel sulfate: NiSO₄·6H₂O) on the activity of enzymes involved in sugar metabolism of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) seedlings after 96 h of exposure to the metal. Ni⁺² treatment reduced root and coleoptile length of emerging wheat seedlings and the effect was more pronounced on the root length. Ni⁺² (5–50 μM) treatment significantly enhanced carbohydrate content by 21–100 % over that of the control. In contrast, protein and reducing sugar contents declined by 17–43 and 22–69 %, respectively. The reduction in total protein content was confirmed by SDS-PAGE analysis. The activities of starch-metabolizing enzymes declined upon Ni⁺² stress in a concentration-dependent manner. Activities of α- and β-amylases, acid and alkaline invertases, acid and alkaline phosphatases, and starch phosphorylase declined by 18–74 and 24–85 %, 42–76 and 21–73 %, 15–54 and 28–72 %, and 50–83 %, respectively, when compared to the control. The study concludes that Ni⁺² impairs sugar metabolism as indicated by decline in the activity of sucrose and starch hydrolyzing enzymes. It resulted in decrease in the availability of biochemical energy and sugars required for the synthesis, leading to inhibition of radicle growth in germinating wheat seeds.     

Salt sensitivity in chickpea is determined by sodium toxicity

Main conclusion

Salt sensitivity in chickpea is determined by Na⁺ toxicity, whereas relatively high leaf tissue concentrations of Cl^? were tolerated, and the osmotic component of 60-mM NaCl was not detrimental.Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) is sensitive to salinity. This study dissected the responses of chickpea to osmotic and ionic components (Na⁺ and/or Cl^?) of salt stress. Two genotypes with contrasting salt tolerances were exposed to osmotic treatments (?0.16 and ?0.29 MPa), Na⁺-salts, Cl^?-salts, or NaCl at 0, 30, or 60 mM for 42 days and growth, tissue ion concentrations and leaf gas-exchange were assessed. The osmotic treatments and Cl^?-salts did not affect growth, whereas Na⁺-salts and NaCl treatments equally impaired growth in either genotype. Shoot Na⁺ and Cl^? concentrations had markedly increased, whereas shoot K⁺ had declined in the NaCl treatments, but both genotypes had similar shoot concentrations of each of these individual ions after 14 and 28 days of treatments. Genesis836 achieved higher net photosynthetic rate (64–84 % of control) compared with Rupali (35–56 % of control) at equivalent leaf Na⁺ concentrations. We conclude that (1) salt sensitivity in chickpea is determined by Na⁺ toxicity, and (2) the two contrasting genotypes appear to differ in ‘tissue tolerance’ of high Na⁺. This study provides a basis for focus on Na⁺ tolerance traits for future varietal improvement programs for salinity tolerance in chickpea.

     

Genome-Wide Analysis of Potassium Transport-Related Genes in Chickpea (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Cicer arietinum</Emphasis> L.) and Their Role in Abiotic Stress Responses

Potassium is the most abundant inorganic cation that constitutes up to 10% of the total plant dry weight and plays a prominent role in plant growth and development. Plants exhibit a complex but highly organized system of channels and transporters, which are involved in absorption and distribution of K⁺ from soil to different parts of plants. In this study, we explored the K⁺ transport system in chickpea genome and identified 36 genes encoding potassium channels and transporters. The identified genes were further classified on the basis of their domain structure and conserved motifs. It includes K⁺ transporters (23 genes: 2 HKTs, 6 KEAs, and 15 KUP/HAK/KTs) and K⁺ channels (13 genes: 8 Shakers and 5 TPKs). Chromosomal localization of these genes demonstrated that various K⁺ transporters and channels are randomly distributed across all the eight chromosomes. Comparative phylogenetic analysis of K⁺ transport system genes from Arabidopsis thaliana, Glycine max, Medicago truncatula, and Oryza sativa revealed their strong conservation in different plant species. Similarly, gene structure analysis displayed conservation of family-specific intron/exon organization in the K⁺ transport system genes. Evolutionary analysis of these genes suggested the segmental duplication as principal route of expansion for this family in chickpea. Several abiotic stress-related cis-regulatory elements were also identified in promoter regions suggesting their role in abiotic stress tolerance. Expression analysis of selected genes under drought, heat, osmotic, and salt stress demonstrated their differential expression in response to these stresses. This signifies the importance of these genes in the modulation of stress response in chickpea. Present study provides the first insight into K⁺ transport system in chickpea and can serve as a basis for their functional analysis.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Dunaliella salina</Emphasis> exopolysaccharides: a promising biostimulant for salt stress tolerance in tomato (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Solanum lycopersicum</Emphasis>)

Microalgal exopolysaccharides represent a potential sustainable alternative for the enhancement and protection of agricultural crops including management of both biotic and abiotic stress. In the present study, we investigated the potential of Dunaliella salina exopolysaccharides (PS) to attenuate the effect of salt stress on growth of Solanum lycopersicum, which was grown under different salinity levels (3 and 6 g L^?1 NaCl). The effects of PS treatment on plant growth, osmoprotectant molecules, protein content, and antioxidant enzymes activities of tomato plants under salt stress were analyzed. A metabolomics study showed that the exopolysaccharides released by D. salina contained sulfated moiety along with carbohydrates and uronic acids. The application of sulfated exopolysaccharides on tomato plants alleviated the salt stress and mitigated the decrease in length and dry weight of the plant’s shoot and root systems, as well as that of potassium (K⁺), and K⁺/Na⁺ ratio. Furthermore, the increase in proline, phenolic compounds, Na⁺, and antioxidant enzymes (CAT, POD, SOD) activities caused by salt stress were attenuated after the exopolysaccharide treatment. GC-MS metabolomics analysis showed that PS treatment allowed the activation and/or inhibition of various metabolic pathways involved in the plant’s tolerance to stress such as jasmonic acid-dependent pathways. This study shows the potential of microalgal exopolysaccharides for enhancing tomato tolerance to salt stress and highlights the possibility of their use as plant growth biostimulants under harsh environmental conditions.     

Seed priming with sorghum extracts and benzyl aminopurine improves the tolerance against salt stress in wheat (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Triticum aestivum</Emphasis> L.)

Salt stress impedes the productivity of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) in many parts of the world. This study evaluated the potential role of benzyl aminopurine (BAP) and sorghum water extract (SWE) in improving the wheat performance under saline conditions. Seeds were primed with BAP (5 mg L^?1), SWE (5% v/v), BAP + SWE, and distilled water (hydropriming). Soil filled pots maintained at the soil salinity levels of 4 and 10 dS m^?1 were used for the sowing of primed and non-primed seeds. Salt stress suppressed the wheat growth; seed priming treatments significantly improved the wheat growth under optimal and suboptimal conditions. Total phenolics, total soluble sugars and proteins, α-amylase activity, chlorophyll contents, and tissue potassium ion (K⁺) contents were increased by seed priming under salt stress; while, tissue sodium ion (Na⁺) contents were decreased. Seed priming with SWE + BAP was the most effective in this regard. Under salt stress, the tissue Na⁺ contents were reduced by 5.78, 28.3, 32.2, 36.7% by hydropriming, seed priming with SWE, seed priming with BAP, and seed priming with SWE + BAP, respectively over the non-primed control. Effectiveness of seed priming techniques followed the order SWE + BAP > BAP > SWE > Hydropriming. In conclusion, seed priming with SWE + BAP may be opted to improve the tolerance against salt stress in wheat.     

Exogenous application of thiamin promotes growth and antioxidative defense system at initial phases of development in salt-stressed plants of two maize cultivars differing in salinity tolerance

The effects of thiamin (Thi) applied as seed soaking or foliar spray on some key physiological parameters were investigated in two differentially salt-responsive maize (Zea mays L.) cultivars, DK 5783 and Apex 836 F1, exposed to saline stress in two different experiments. An initial experiment (germination experiment) was designed to identify appropriate doses of Thi which could lessen the deleterious effects of salt on plants and screen all available maize cultivars for their differential tolerance to salt stress (100 mM NaCl). The seeds of nine maize cultivars were soaked for 24 h in solutions containing six levels of Thi (25, 50, 75, 100, 125 and 150 mg l^?1). Based on the results obtained from the germination experiment, maize cultivar DK 5783 was found to be the most salt tolerant and Apex 836 as the most sensitive cultivar. Also, of six Thi levels used, two levels (100 and 125 mg l^?1) were chosen for subsequent studies. In the second experiment (glasshouse experiment), two maize cultivars, DK 5783 (salt tolerant) and Apex 836 (salt sensitive) were subjected to saline regime (100 mM NaCl) and two levels of Thi (100 and 125 mg l^?1) applied as foliar spray. Salt stress markedly suppressed shoot and root dry mass, total chlorophylls (“a” + “b”), leaf water potential and maximum fluorescence yield (Fv/Fm) in the plants of both maize cultivars, but it increased proline accumulation, leaf osmotic pressure, malondialdehyde (MDA) and hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) concentrations, electrolyte leakage (EL) as well as activities of some key antioxidant enzymes, superoxide dismutase (SOD; EC. 1.15.1.1), peroxidase (POD; EC. 1.11.1.7) and catalase (CAT; EC. 1.11.1.6). Salt-induced reduction in plant growth parameters was higher in the salt-sensitive cultivar, Apex 836, which was found to be associated with relatively increased EL, and MDA and H₂O₂ levels, and decreased activities of the key antioxidant enzymes. Application of Thi as seed soaking or foliar spray partly mitigated the deleterious effects of salinity on plants of both maize cultivars. The most promising effect of Thi on alleviation of adverse effects of salt stress on maize plants was found when it was applied as foliar spray at 100 mg l^?1. Thiamin application considerably reduced tissue Na⁺ concentration, but improved those of N, P, Ca²⁺ and K⁺ in the salt-stressed maize plants. Exogenously applied thiamin-induced growth improvement in maize plants was found to be associated with reduced membrane permeability, MDA and H₂O₂ levels, and altered activities of some key antioxidant enzymes such as CAT, SOD and POD as well as increased photosynthetic pigment concentration under saline regime.     

Unraveling the inheritance pattern of yield and associated traits in Rapeseed (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Brassica napus</Emphasis> L.)

In this study, 56 F₁ crosses of B. napus, including their eight parents, were developed through complete diallel mating design. Analysis of variances (ANOVA) of combining ability showed very highly significant (P ≤ 0.01) values for the general combining (GCA), specific combining (SCA) and the reciprocal combining ability (RCA) towards yield and its associated traits. Parental lines, AUP-9 (3.51), AUP-18 (37.26), AUP-20 (0.12), AUP-7 (0.11), and AUP-18 (5.66), were found as the best general combiners for each of the traits: pods on main raceme, pods on individual plant, seeds on each pod, 1000 seed weight and seed yield plant^?1, respectively, whereas, based on desirable SCA effects, crosses found best were AUP-14 × AUP-18, AUP-14 × AUP-20, AUP-8 × AUP-20, AUP-2 × AUP-18, AUP-2 × AUP-14, and AUP-2 × AUP-9 for pods main raceme^?1, pods plant^?1, seeds pod^?1, 1000 seed weight and seed yield plant^?1, respectively. Superior reciprocal hybrids for economically important traits such as pods main raceme^?1, pods plant^?1, seeds pod^?1, and seed yield plant^?1 were AUP-17 × AUP-9, AUP-14 × AUP-2, AUP-18 × AUP-7 and AUP-20 × AUP-8, respectively, involving at least one best general combiner (parental line). Estimates of combining ability variances and predictability ratio (σ ²GCA/σ ²SCA <1.00) revealed the preponderance of a non-additive gene action and was further confirmed by higher values of variances due to SCA than GCA.     

A search for glomuferrin: a potential siderophore of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi of the genus <Emphasis Type="Italic">Glomus</Emphasis>

Most fungi are known to synthesize siderophores under iron limitation. However, arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AM fungi) have so far not been reported to produce siderophores, although their metabolism is iron-dependent. In an approach to isolate siderophores from AM fungi, we have grown plants of Tagetes patula nana in the presence of spores from AM fungi of the genus Glomus (G. etunicatum, G. mossae & unidentified Glomus sp.) symbiotically under iron limitation and sterile conditions. A siderophore was isolated from infected roots after 2–3 weeks of growth in pots containing low-iron sand with Hoagland solution. HPLC analysis of the root cell lysate revealed a peak at a retention time of 6.7 min which showed iron-binding properties in a chrome azurol S test. The compound was isolated by preparative HPLC and the structure was determined by high resolution electrospray FTICR-MS and GC/MS analysis of the hydrolysis products. From an observed absolute mass to charge ratio (m/z) of 401.11925 [M+H]⁺ with a relative mass error of ? = 0.47 ppm an elemental composition of C₁₆H₂₁N₂O₁₀ [M+H]⁺ was derived, suggesting a molecular weight of 400 Da for glomuferrin. Corresponnding ion masses of m/z 423.10 and m/z 439.06 were asigned to the Na-adduct and K-adduct respectively. A mass of 455.03836 confirmed an Fe- complex with an elemental composition of C₁₆H₁₉N₂O₁₀Fe (? = 0.15 ppm). GC/MS analysis of the HCl lysate (6 N HCL, 12 h) revealed 1,4 butanediamine. Thus the proposed structure of the isolated siderophore from Glomus species consisted of 1,4 butanediamine amidically linked to two dehydrated citrate residues, similar to the previously identified bis-amidorhizoferrin. Thus, the isolated siderophore (glomuferrin) is a member of the rhizoferrin family previously isolated from fungi of the Mucorales (Zygomycetes).     

A novel <Emphasis Type="Italic">Trichoderma</Emphasis> fusant for enhancing nutritional value and defence activity in chickpea

In recent years, due to the rise in food consumption, much of the attention has been focused to increase the yield of the agricultural crops which resulted in compromised nutritional quality. Efforts have to be undertaken to enhance the nutritional attributes of legumes, cereals and staple food crops by increasing amino acids and mineral content. In the present study, we evaluated a protoplast fusant (H. lixii MTCC 5659) for its ability to enhance nutritional value and defence activity in chickpea. Essential amino acids; methionine (9.82 mg kg^?1 dw), cysteine (2.61 mg kg^?1 dw), glycine (11.34 mg kg^?1 dw), valine (9.26 mg kg^?1 dw), and non-essential amino acids; aspartic acid (39.19 mg kg^?1 dw) and serine (17.53 mg kg^?1 dw) were significantly higher in seeds of fusant inoculated chickpea. Fusant significantly improved accumulation of mineral nutrients i.e. Cu (157.73 mg kg^?1 dw), Co (0.06 mg kg^?1 dw), Ni (1.85 mg kg^?1 dw), Zn (157.73 mg kg^?1 dw) and S (16.29 mg kg^?1 dw) in seeds. Biocontrol and defence activities of chickpea increased from 20 to 35% in fusant inoculated plants suggesting its potential to ameliorate biotic stress. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of an increase in amino acids and mineral content of chickpea by fusant inoculation.     

Methyl jasmonate regulated diploid and tetraploid black locust (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Robinia pseudoacacia</Emphasis> L.) tolerance to salt stress

Methyl jasmonate (MeJA) is an essential and promising plant growth regulation factor that can improve plant development and growth. Here, we explored the mechanism by which MeJA regulates the tolerance of black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia L.) to salt stress. In this study, diploid and tetraploid R. pseudoacacia were subjected to three treatments: 500 mM NaCl; 100 μM MeJA; and 500 mM NaCl and 100 μM MeJA, and the changes in plant growth, endogenous MeJA levels and the anti-oxidative metabolism of leaves were investigated. The results showed that salt stress significantly inhibited plant growth and induced the accumulation of Na⁺ and Cl^? ions, malondialdehyde (MDA) content and reactive oxygen species. However, these adverse effects could be alleviated by applying MeJA, which was followed by a marked increase in the activities of antioxidant enzymes. In addition, some genes encoding several antioxidant enzymes were also up-regulated. Simultaneously, the endogenous MeJA content in MeJA-treated plants was lower than in salt-treated plants. It is noteworthy that tetraploids always possessed higher salt tolerance and obtained greater positive effects from MeJA than diploids. These results suggested that MeJA might play a protective role in defense responses, enabling diploid and tetraploid black locust, especially tetraploid, to better tolerate the adverse effects of salt stress.     

Role of sodium ion transporters and osmotic adjustments in stress alleviation of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Cynodon dactylon</Emphasis> under NaCl treatment: a parallel investigation with rice

Comparative analyses of the responses to NaCl in Cynodon dactylon and a sensitive crop species like rice could effectively unravel the salt tolerance mechanism in the former. C. dactylon, a wild perennial chloridoid grass having a wide range of ecological distribution is generally adaptable to varying degrees of salinity stress. The role of salt exclusion mechanism present exclusively in the wild grass was one of the major factors contributing to its tolerance. Salt exclusion was found to be induced at 4 days when the plants were treated with a minimum conc. of 200 mM NaCl. The structural peculiarities of the salt exuding glands were elucidated by the SEM and TEM studies, which clearly revealed the presence of a bicellular salt gland actively functioning under NaCl stress to remove the excess amount of Na⁺ ion from the mesophyll tissues. Moreover, the intracellular effect of NaCl on the photosynthetic apparatus was found to be lower in C. dactylon in comparison to rice; at the same time, the vacuolization process increased in the former. Accumulation of osmolytes like proline and glycine betaine also increased significantly in C. dactylon with a concurrent check on the H₂O₂ levels, electrolyte leakage and membrane lipid peroxidation. This accounted for the proper functioning of the Na⁺ ion transporters in the salt glands and also in the vacuoles for the exudation and loading of excess salts, respectively, to maintain the osmotic balance of the protoplasm. In real-time PCR analyses, CdSOS1 expression was found to increase by 2.5- and 5-fold, respectively, and CdNHX expression increased by 1.5- and 2-fold, respectively, in plants subjected to 100 and 200 mM NaCl treatment for 72 h. Thus, the comparative analyses of the expression pattern of the plasma membrane and tonoplast Na⁺ ion transporters, SOS1 and NHX in both the plants revealed the significant role of these two ion transporters in conferring salinity tolerance in Cynodon.