Improvement in wheat quality by expression of <em>Nax</em>1 and <em>Nax</em>2 genes under salt stress

Abstract

The yield of wheat gets affected majorly due to high salt concentrations. Salinity among abiotic stress is the chief reason for the reduction in growth and development of plants. Agricultural land developing countries get affected by saline soil which limits the uptake of nutrients from the soils, results in decreased crop quality. The focus of present was to study the role of Nax1 and Nax2 genes under salt stress on the structural carbohydrates viz. NDF, ADF, cellulose, hemicellulose, lignin and silica in wheat. Role of Nax1 and Nax2 genes has been observed to protect the plants from the stress environment. Maximum ADF (43.5% in F5 and 42.76% in F6) and NDF (77% in F5 and 68.8% in F6) content under salt stress observed in the presence of both genes. Cellulose and hemicelluloses content reduced in the salinity environment and least reduction was observed in presence of sodium transporter genes Nax1 and Nax2 showing cellulose (34.5% in F5 and 36.8% in F6) and hemicelluloses (26.8% in F5 and 26.1% in F6). Lignin content also decreased under saline condition and maximum reduction observed in sensitive cultivar WH1105 (5.6% in F5 and 4.5% in F6) and presence of both Na+ transporter genes resist the reduction (8.4% in F5 and 7.2% in F6). Maximum increased in fodder quality was observed in the presence of both genes Nax1 and Nax2.